Robert “Bob” Edward Long

Robert “Bob” Edward Long , hailing from many of the states in America, died at his home in Panama City Beach, FL, on Friday, May 31, 2024. He was the oldest of 5 siblings, and he is survived by sisters Michele West (Rockmart), Roben Barrett (FL), and Kim Bauer (Cedartown), as well as his only brother Dale Long (CA).

The Long family’s childhood was spent on the shores of the Atlantic with his extended family on both sides–grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins—countless memories were made and cherished. Surrounded by the love of his parents and siblings, Bob’s strong foundation led to a lifetime of making it look easy to be an extraordinary son, protective big brother, inspiring coach, and a remarkable, unique human being.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. Robert “Bob” Charles Long and Mrs. Barbara Leidy Long, both of Havertown, PA. Bob Long Sr. lived 84 years and died in California on July 5, 2016. He and Mrs. Long lived close to both sons Bob and Dale.

Following the death of her husband, Barbara chose to move to Florida with Roben, and she lived 5 of her best years there. Bob enjoyed visiting his mother and sister, and he would stay for a month at Christmastime. Bob would grab a one-way ticket the very same day, and he would travel down to stay as long as they needed him there. On April 25, 2023, Bob became the family’s greatest source of strength when his mother, Barbara, died less than two months before her 90th birthday.

Bob’s achievements as a local hometown hero and outstanding athlete were ingrained by his father’s competitive spirit and his mother’s kind and loyal soul. Despite his superstar status marked by trophies and ribbons, he remained humble and down-to-earth, wrapping his successes in a cloak of humbleness and humility. Bob was the definition of a true champion long throughout his years in school.

Bob graduated from Rockmart High School in 1973 and went on to Georgia Tech on a wrestling scholarship. This led him to the next chapter of his life in bodybuilding, strength training, mentoring, and coaching. However, Bob had already met the one true love of his entire life, the sugary-soft white sand and crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico named Panama City Beach. He vacationed there every year; his favorite week was the first in July to celebrate the 4th. He lived on both the East and West Coast, but no matter where Bob was in life—he’d rather have been in Panama City Beach. In 2016, he made his retirement dream of using the Hathaway Bridge as his road home his reality.

Bob was a bit of a nomad with a gypsy soul—worldly goods were unimportant to him. He was happy to stay in the penthouse suite, but he would also be happy to sleep on the beach. He would take a greyhound with the same spirit as he would by flying first class. Bob preferred to live in the present moment, and he was off-put by planning for the future because he gave 110% of his attention to the people around him—somehow, he just knew everything would work out.

After relocating to California, he owned a successful gym, Rhino Strength Athletics, in Chino for many years and immensely enjoyed working with clients of all ages and backgrounds. However, when he could no longer resist the Gulf’s calling, he fully retired, packed up his truck, put his giant Great Dane best friend, Beau, in the cab with him, and they made their final cross- country road trip together in 2016.

Bob’s high intelligence somehow paired perfectly with his slapstick joke material. He had the one-line comments and observations to make people laugh until it hurt, and the voice and expressions that made him the kind of person others wanted to know. Even though Bob lived in the sunniest places in the USA, he had to put extra energy into brightening up the everyday grind of adulting, which was made extra difficult because his inner child did not want to stop playing—he was just a big kid, which were his words.

He tolerated the mundane chores but relied on his inner strength to become an extravert on cue in public. Bob was an introvert who usually needed to recharge his battery—he truly felt at peace in the solitude with his dog, Beau —he always said he got along better with dogs than people. During these quiet days, Bob spent his downtime watching movies, smoking cigars, and staying up-to-date on the political climate.

His parents instilled Republican values, and he was a patriot to the core, but true to Bob’s personality, he did not lecture or judge others for their beliefs. He cleared tension—he did not create it. He may have on a hat or shirt to show support for a political candidate, but he was not looking for a debate. Bob stood for what he believed was right, but a true native son of our country, he respected others’ rights to do whatever was best for them.

Bob influenced and inspired many people who were not driven by what he told them to do; instead, they respected him because of the authentic way he lived his life. He looked forward to family, extended family, and friends visiting him every summer on the beach, and he looked forward to our week-long family reunions in November in Indian Rocks Beach for the past five years.

He became more of a family man in the last decade, and he had many new friends that he engaged with daily—Bob was anything but a hermit in his 60s—he loved his life in Florida. Bob’s legacy will endure through his siblings, nephews, nieces, great-nephews, and great-nieces. Bob was amazing with children—they love Uncle Bob, and words do not have the depth to express just how much we are going to miss him.

We know his spirit will be sprinkled throughout the lives of every person who had the privilege of being his client, teammate, or friend. Bob’s excellence in training others was highlighted long after he was off the mat and coaching young wrestlers in Rockmart.

Bob Long’s life was a testament to resilience, marked by extreme highs and a few lows. He faced and conquered the impossible, not once but twice, emerging victorious in his battles with cancer. His scars were a testament to his strength, and on the morning of his 69th birthday, he was ready for the next 30 years.

He simply missed a step on a staircase that morning, which led to his unexpected death, and while we grieve down here, Bob is with his parents and Bill and Greg, his two brothers-in-law, in Heaven with a perfect body without a single scar.

The Celebration of Life for Bob will be held Saturday, July 13, 2013, at 5:00 p.m. in the chapel of Alvis Miller & Son Funeral Home. The family will receive friends before the ceremony, from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm.

There will be a time of fellowship and meal following the service.

Celebration of Life Details:

Bob’s family will begin to arrive in Rockmart on Thursday and Friday, July 11-12. While two of his sisters are local, we wanted friends to know that both Dale and Roben will be making their way home for the Celebration of Life Ceremony on July 13, 2024, so we would like to invite anyone who wants to see any member of the Long family to catch up or just stop in to share a story to come and be with us at the celebration. We are blessed to have another Rockmart legend to bring words of comfort along with tales of Bob’s shenanigans, Rev. Ronnie Davis. He selflessly agreed to officiate the ceremony for the family, and we expect everyone will leave with more laughs and memories than expected, which is what Bob would have wanted. Please come and listen to great stories from anyone who would like to share their favorite “Bob moments” during or after the ceremony.

Alvis Miller & Son Funeral Home & Crematory has charge of the arrangements for Mr. Robert Edward Long.

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