Jim Long, age 87, of Huron, SD, died Friday, April 18, 2014, as a result of heart failure at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. His body has been cremated and his memorial service will be at 11:00 a.m. Monday, April 21, at First Presbyterian Church with burial of his cremated remains at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis at 10:30 a.m. MST on Monday, June 16, 2014. Memorial vsitation with family present will be Sunday, April 20, from 6-8 p.m. at Welter Funeral Home. Memorials may be directed to First Presbyterian Church or the Nordby Center. James A. Long was born December 30, 1926, in Olivia, MN. He grew up in Lemmon, SD. He entered the U.S. Army Air Force on June 10, 1945. He served in the European Theater in Germany during World War II. He was honorably discharged on December 11, 1946. He attended SDSU in Brookings and graduated with a Master's Degree in 1951. While attending SDSU he was a member of the last undefeated Jackrabbit football team. On June 17, 1950, Jim married JoAnn Starksen in Brookings, SD. He coached in Britton and Ipswich before settling in Huron where he became head coach and athletic director of Huron College. In 1958 he was named South Dakota College Coach of the year. Jim and his team were featured in Sports Illustrated in 1959. He left coaching in 1961 and began his career in insurance which continued for over 50 years. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church, lifetime member of Huron Sertoma Club, as well as the Masons, Shriners, Elks, VFW, and Huron Chamber of Commerce. He was State President of South Dakota Independent Insurance Agents, and past president of the local board of Independent Insurance Agents. Jim served on the South Dakota Department of Transportation Commission for 10 years. He enjoyed daily swims at the Nordby Center, time spent golfing with friends, and his daily interactions with his three coffee groups. On October 16-17, 2009, Jim joined several other veterans from the area for the Honor Flight to Washington DC honoring South Dakota veterans who served during World War II. Jim is survived by his wife, JoAnn of Huron; 2 sons, Randy (Jan) Long of Rapid City, and Rick (Lisa) Long of Huron; 5 grandchildren, Rich (Jennifer) Long, Kelly Jo (Pablo) Mastroeni, Brandon (Wendy) Long, Matt Sather, and Jordan Long; and 4 great-grandchildren, Gianluca Mastroeni, Giuliana Mastroeni, Emma Long, and Gabriel Long. He was preceded in death by his parents.