Carolyn Elizabeth Bason Long

Carolyn Elizabeth Bason Long, widow of United States Senator Russell B. Long (D-La.), passed away in her sleep on July 27, 2015 at her Bethesda, Maryland home. She was 92. Carolyn Elizabeth Bason was born December 1, 1922, in Caswell County, North Carolina, to Samuel Murphy Bason and Martha Eliza (Marnie) Hatchett Bason. Her father was a former North Carolina state senator and the president of the Bank of Yanceyville, N.C., and her mother was a homemaker. In addition to Carolyn, the Basons had two other children, William Hatchett and Dorothy Helen, both of which preceded her in death. In 1943, Carolyn completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Secretarial Administration from the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. Upon graduation, she was employed at Duke University, and in January 1945, she relocated to Washington, D.C. to work as an office assistant for North Carolina Senator Clyde R. Hoey. In 1951, she transferred from the Senate Civil Service to the U.S. Dept. of the Navy’s Eastern Atlantic Military Assistance Program Advisory Group and spent the next two years stationed in London and Frankfurt. She returned stateside in 1953 and resumed work in Senator Hoey’s office until his death in 1954. Hoey was succeeded by Samuel J. Ervin, and Carolyn remained on his staff as his personal secretary for many years. On December 23, 1969, Carolyn Bason married Louisiana Senator Russell B. Long, who preceded his wife in death in 2003. During her tenure in Washington D.C., Mrs. Long devoted much of her time to charitable and cultural causes, particularly in promoting historic preservation and the performing arts. She was a member of the International Neighbors Club and the Red Cross unit of the Senate Wives. She served as an officer of the Ladies of the United State Senate and the Congressional Club, and held board positions on the Wolf Trap Foundation, the District of Columbia Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the United States Botanic Gardens. Long was an advocate for improving the quality of living and healthcare for the elderly and received the Better Life Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in 1983. She was also a booster for the State of Louisiana, frequently visiting to lend her support to educational and cultural enterprises. She is survived by her five nieces and nephews: Carolyn (Lyn) Cumming Hart of Bethesda, MD, Sarah (Sally) Marion Bason of Reidsville, NC, John James Burke of Cincinnati, OH, William Hatchett Bason of Martinsville, VA, and Samuel Clark Bason of Palm Springs, CA. The family is grateful for the many years of loyal service and friendship provided to Carolyn by her loving and devoted caregivers Marina Osorio and Myrna Tiwari as well as her longtime driver and friend, Arthur Worrell (dec). A funeral service will be held at National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 on Thursday, July 30, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. Friends are invited to join the family to celebrate Carolyn’s life at a reception immediately following the service at National Presbyterian Church in the Court of Flags. A service of interment and burial will be held at Yanceyville Presbyterian Church in Yanceyville, NC on Saturday, August 1, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Pallbearers will be William Hatchett Bason of Martinsville, VA, Samuel Clark Bason of Palm Springs, CA, John James Burke, Jr. of Cincinnati, OH, John Glenn Cumming, IV of Vero Beach, FL, James Martin Hart of Vero Beach, FL, Russell Long Mosely of Baton Rouge, LA, Kris Kirkpatrick of Baton Rouge LA, and Charles Worrell of Washington, DC. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the National Parkinson Foundation or to the Alzheimer’s Association. Relatives and friends are invited to visit www.josephgawlers.com for additional information.