Sara Rollow Long 1940-2026

Sara Rollow Long passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones, on Sunday, July 5, 2026.
A memorial service will be held on July 23, 2026 at 11am at The Church of Saint Dunstan in Mineola. The Rt. Rev. Fraser W. Lawton will officiate. Interment will follow in the columbarium of the Church. Visitation will follow the service in the Parish Hall.
Sara was the eldest daughter of the late William Ewing and Natalie Miller Rollow. She was born, reared, and educated in Nashville, TN. In 1965, she married Ralph Willingham Long, Jr., who passed away in 2005.
Sara and Ralph traveled the globe together, making friends wherever they went. Sara was a consummate hostess and entertainer. She never had to find an excuse to have a celebration. Ralph referred to her extensive Christmas decorating as “blowing up the Christmas balloon.” At any party, she was apt to have a gift bow or feathers in her hair. She was an amazing cook and loved to feed people.
Sara’s nieces and nephews loved a visit out to Texas to see Sara and Ralph. Sara made those visits a childhood delight: there were many trips to favorite restaurants like Joe T Garcia’s in the old Ft Worth stockyard area, adventures to places like Six Flags and great museums in the area, or even seeing a touring broadway show. They also went to ranches in the area where the kids could learn to ride a horse. The younger kids in the family got to experience ranch life in East Texas as the Longs transitioned from their suburban home in Colleyville to their farm in East Texas. Those were wonderful adventures for all the family and they will always treasure the memories of those visits.
Just as her mother and grandmother raised her, Sara was devoted to giving of herself to family, friends, and her church community. She was a long time member of the Church of Saint Dunstan, serving as clerk to the Vestry and was a member of the Altar Guild and Episcopal Churchwomen. She was a charter member of Grace Chapter of the Daughters of the King. She previously served as president of the P.E.O. Sisterhood and the Twentieth Century Club of Mineola.
She was predeceased by her sister, Lee Rollow Perry of Lynchburg, VA and is survived by her sister, Ann E. Rollow of Bedford, TX, her brother-in-law John Michael Perry of Lynchburg, VA; two step-children: David Scott Long and his wife Lena of Brookfield, CT; Mary Kaye Long Ryan and her husband, Patrick, of Lebanon, TN; two grandchildren, Jennifer Christina Long of Connecticut and David Nicholas Long of Switzerland; nephew John Michael Perry, jr. of Nashville, TN; niece Jennifer Perry Clark of Lynchburg, VA, several other nieces and nephews and cousins, all of whom were devoted; and her special “adopted children:” Doctors Jon and Kathy Carlson of Tyler; and Chris, Carolyn, Lucas and Amanda Rimbey of Emory.
The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to all of those who cared so well for Sara, especially Susan Bass.
We will miss her warm and ready laugh, humor, and enthusiasm. At the end of her life, she said she wouldn’t have changed a thing besides having more time with Ralph, her mother, and her sister Lee. It was, indeed, a life well-lived.
We all share the gift of having known an incredible human. One who filled our hearts with love and laughter, life lessons and faith, encouragement and grace. For this we have been blessed. And our lives are better because she was in them.
If desired, memorials may be made to The Church of Saint Dunstan in Mineola, TX.