Obituary

Funeral services for Dr. Thomas C. Longnecker, 91, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in First United Methodist Church with Dr. Lewis Holland, pastor, and Dr. Max Browning, retired pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Plainview Memorial Park by Wood-Dunning Funeral Home. Dr. Longnecker died Wednesday, April 20, 2005, at his residence. He was born Aug. 6, 1913, in Union City, Ind., the son of Bertha Lacy and Henry Longnecker. He served in the ROTC for four years at Purdue University and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant, serving six years. He received a bachelor of science in biochemestry from Purdue in 1935, his master of science in biochemistry from Rutgers University in 1937 and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Rutgers in 1941 and his C.A./Miltary Government from the University of Wisconsin in 1943. He began active duty in civil affairs, serving with the military government in France, Belgium and Germany from 1941-47. His last assignment was with Group Control Council in Berlin. He was discharged as a lieutenant colonel. He was assistant director at the Texas Research Foundation in Richardson from 1947-56; director of High Plains Research Foundation in Plainview from 1956-73; director at TAMU Research and Extension Center in Corpus Christi from 1973-79; and was a consultant for World Bank in Sudan, Africa from 1981-82. He was a member of First United Methodist Church where he served on the administrative board for three years; a member of Kiwanis and Rotary clubs; served on the board of the YMCA; served two terms on the Plainview school board, one year as president; two terms as a city councilman in Richardson; was a board member of Hale County Senior Citizens Center for 11 years and was board president for six years; and had served as a trustee of the Hale County Senior Citizens Charitable Trust since 1990. He married Blanche Blue on Feb. 10, 1940, in Milltown, N.J. She died in July 1996. Survivors include three sons and daughters-in-law, Chris and Rosemary Longnecker of Jacksonville, Fla., Charles and Barbie Longnecker of Littleton, Colo., and Brad and Pattie Longnecker of El Paso; one daughter and son-in-law, Linda Longnecker and Ron Ochoa of Albuquerque, N.M.; seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and his friend, Dorothy Willingham of Plainview. His parents, three sisters and two brothers also are deceased. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6-8 p.m. today.