Obituary: Mary Constance Longe

April 19, 1938  - September 25, 2023

October 30, 2023

Mary Constance (Connie) Longe, 1938-2023. Courtesy photo

Mary Constance (Connie) Longe, 85, of Raleigh, North Carolina, formerly of Waterbury, Vermont, passed away Monday, September 25, 2023, with loving family by her side.

Connie was born in New York City April 19, 1938, to Dorothy (Muffie) and John (Jack) McDonnell, the first of five children. The family lived on Riverside Drive for 13 years until they moved to Plattsburgh, New York, where she graduated from Plattsburgh High School in 1956. 

Connie loved the Lord and became ordained on Oct. 5, 1996 joining her husband Tony, who had previously been ordained in July 1989. Together, they pastored at Hunger Mountain Christian Assembly in Waterbury faithfully for 23 years until they retired in May 2012.

During Connie’s life, she worked as a bank manager, ministered to women’s groups, and conducted prison ministry. She also had a passion for gardening and was a longtime member of A River Runs Through It garden club in Waterbury.

Connie’s deeply held religious beliefs offered comfort as she struggled with the loss of her husband, Tony Longe, who passed on March 15, 2023.

She is survived by her children, Greg and his spouse Amy Longe, Steve and his spouse Martha Longe, and Pamela Lambiase. She has three grandchildren: Justin Hershberg and spouse Corey, Caroline Turner, and Erik Longe; and a great-granddaughter Eloise Hershberg. Connie is also survived by her siblings Barbara Murray, Chip McDonnell, Lisa McDonnell, Bill Carrington and Chris Taylor.

A service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 11 a.m. at Hunger Mountain Christian Assembly, 4940 Waterbury-Stowe Rd, Waterbury Center, Vermont. Burial will follow at Maple Street Cemetery in Waterbury Center.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Transitions LifeCare, 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607. The Perkins-Parker Funeral Home in Waterbury is assisting the family.