Long, Mary Tom

Mary Tom Bunting Long, MD, 89, of Blacksburg, Va., died on Wednesday, April 14, 2010, at Heritage Hall in Blacksburg, Va. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence Hardy “Huey” Long; father, Thomas Alfred Bunting; and her mother, Mary Frances Culpepper Bunting. Surviving Dr. Long are son, Darden Bunting Culpepper Long, of Portsmouth, Va.; and daughter, Mary Claire Childress and son-in-law, Charles Brown Childress, of Christiansburg; and four grandchildren whom she adored, Preston Thomas Childress and Mary Margaret “Maggie” Childress, of Christiansburg, Patrick Graham Long and Aaron Culpepper Long, of Virginia Beach and Portsmouth, Va. Dr. Long’s Christian faith was the center of her life where she was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Portsmouth, Va., in her childhood and early adulthood, and a member of Blacksburg Presbyterian Church for over 50 years. Mary Tom served in a number of roles in her church: Elder, Sunday School teacher, and Lydia Circle member, as well as a member of numerous committees and task forces. Her greatest gift to her church was the gift of flowers where she oversaw the floral ministry for years, as well as creating many arrangements on her own. After giving up this role, she still made arrangements for many church holy days. After graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth, Va., Dr. Long attended Randolph-Macon Woman’s College (RMWC) in Lynchburg, Va., completing her degree requirements in three years. At RMWC, Mary Tom was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. She then obtained her medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Va., at the age of 23. After interning at Gallinger Municipal Hospital in Washington, D.C., Mary Tom began her general practice in Portsmouth, Va., affiliated with Maryview Hospital. Upon her marriage to Huey, she moved her private practice to Blacksburg, Va., where she was affiliated with Radford Hospital, delivering several thousand babies at Maryview and Radford Hospitals. In 1965, Dr. Long became a staff physician for the Virginia Tech Student Health Center for five years. She continued her medical career working for the Virginia State Health Department, as the Director of the New River Valley Health District for eight years. In 1978, she became the first female physician in Virginia to serve as Regional Director for the entire Southwest Region of Virginia from Appomatox to Bristol. Mary Tom retired from the State Health Department in 1983. Dr. Long was awarded Woman of the Year for Health in Montgomery County in 1976. Upon her retirement, Dr. Long remained active in the community where she served as chair of the Montgomery County Board of Social Services. She was a member of Torch Club International, Montgomery County Chapter, where she traveled to several national and international conferences. An avid fan of college football and basketball (especially Virginia Tech), and of the Atlanta Braves, Mary Tom was a longtime member of Blacksburg Sports Club. She also played bridge in several groups, including the Wednesday Afternoon Bridge Club and the Blacksburg Country Club Bridge Club. Special thanks to those who cared for Mary Tom in so many ways over the years: Dr. Daniel Camden, her longtime primary care physician; Rebecca Ford; Barbara Dowe; the staffs at Elite Style Salon and Top Nail; and more recently, the fourth floor nursing staff and hospital physicians at Montgomery Regional Hospital, and the staffs of the Villa at Heritage Hall and of Good Samaritan Hospice. A memorial service celebrating Mary Tom’s life will be held 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, 2010, at Blacksburg Presbyterian Church conducted by the Reverend Susan Verbrugge. In lieu of flowers for Mary Tom, contributions may be made to the Free Clinic of the New River Valley, 215 Roanoke Street, Christiansburg, Va. 24073; Planned Parenthood Roanoke Health Center, 2207 Peters Creek Road, Roanoke, Va. 24017 or to Blacksburg Presbyterian Church Flower Fund, P.O. Box 144, Blacksburg, Va. 24063-0144. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg, Va.