
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 15, 1994                   TAG: 9406150024
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

MARCUS LONG, BLACKSBURG LAWYER, DIES

Lawyer Marcus Long, a longtime Blacksburg resident who played an active role in the development of the community, died at his home Monday after a long bout with cancer. He was 73.

Long, who was born and raised in Radford, attended the University of Virginia before graduating from the University of Richmond law school in 1950. In 1951, he returned to Blacksburg where he practiced law and became active in town affairs.

"Probably if you name it around here, he has been involved," said Long's son Mark, a lawyer who practiced with his father. "Back in the '50s and '60s, he did so much for the town. Unfortunately, times change and people forget."

Long served as an attorney for the town of Blacksburg from 1957 to 1973, president of the Blacksburg Chamber of Commerce in 1959 and president of the Montgomery-Radford-Floyd Bar Association from 1965 to 1966. Additionally, he was influential in forming the Blacksburg-VPI Water Authority, an organization that provided the town with a sophisticated water and sewer system that was needed to support economic and population expansion.

"That has been absolutely critical to the town's and the university's explosive growth over the past 30 years," said Blacksburg Town Manager Ron Secrist. "It was really a tremendous contribution to the community."

Visitation services will be held tonight from 7 to 9 at McCoy Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Blacksburg United Methodist Church. Memorial contributions may be made to the church or to New River Valley Hospice, Inc., in Blacksburg.

by CNB