Jeremy Patrick Long

Jeremy Patrick Long died at the age of 75 on April 24, 2024, in Victoria BC, after a long illness.  

Jeremy lived his life with integrity, constancy, kindness and creativity.   He was a loyal man, devoted to advancing others, especially Canadian performing artists.   

Jeremy was pre-deceased by son Daniel in 2013.  He is survived by his spouse of 45 years, Marian Paris, sons Alexander of Penticton and Tristan (Alison) of Courtenay, and beloved grandchildren Everett, Chelsea, Rina, and Quincey.  Jeremy is also survived by sisters Diana Schuldt (Ed) of New Malden, UK, and Phoebe (aka Christine) Long of Hornby Island, as well as paternal Aunt Eileen Duckett (age 100) of Eastbourne, UK.

Jeremy was a beloved uncle “Nunky” to more than 80 nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews (plus their spouses/partners) in Canada, the US and England thanks to his large, close Long/Paris tribe. He was a cherished brother-in-law to 22.   

Born in Manchester, England, Jeremy was raised there and in Belize (former British Honduras), Boston, and Vancouver.  His parents were British Army veterans.  His work ethic developed early and remained strong.  He made newspaper and pharmacy deliveries on his bike, learned small appliance repair at the local hardware store, and in his teens, caddied at South Vancouver-area golf courses.   As a young man, he fought wildfires in Northern BC, worked underground in a mine in Northern Ontario and once had an encounter with a grizzly bear while clearing a hydro line with a chainsaw.   He still has his pair of custom-made Pierre Paris & Sons leather boots.  

Jeremy attended Point Grey and Magee Secondary schools in Vancouver then graduated from UBC with a BA and MFA in Creative Writing.  He started in commerce law but then switched to the arts, becoming a poet, playwright, director and producer.  He co-founded Tamahnous Theatre (a Chilcotin word for magic), becoming its General Manager.  He taught theatre courses and directed plays, including Equus, at Malaspina College in Nanaimo (now VIU).   He became General Manager, then Executive Director of the Vancouver East Cultural Centre.  He was a recipient of the 1978 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts.  When he was hired by the Canada Council in Ottawa as Theatre Officer in 1984, Jeremy’s mother Kathleen was relieved he finally had “a real job”.  In 1988 he joined BC’s Cultural Services Branch and was instrumental in writing the legislation to create the BC Arts Council in 1996.  Jeremy served as Associate Director of the BCAC, and in 2007 became Executive Director, retiring in 2010.

His greatest source of joy and pride were his family.   He loved coaching his sons in soccer and baseball, introducing them to the arts, taking them on memorable trips to the Maritimes, Cape Scott, the Chilcotin, Tofino, Disneyland, Puerto Vallarta, England and France.  Jeremy spent most of his recreational life in a pool, swimming laps.  With friends, he travelled throughout BC, Mexico, Europe and the US.   He was devoted to the care of his garden, couldn’t resist re-stacking a dishwasher, smoked DuMaurier’s, played FreeCell, consented to hosting family and friends more often than most, and rocked a Cowichan sweater.    Souvenirs of his coming of age in the 1960’s and spiritual life are now being shared, to the delight of his sons.  An ankh necklace, Buddhist mala beads, hand carved peace sign pendant, leather headband and cuff were carefully saved and tucked away.  His African jalaba robe sadly was not.   

His four-month long honeymoon with Marian in 1979 brought them to San Francisco, New York, London, Denmark, Germany and France seeing theatre and collaborating with theatre companies, partly funded by a grant from the Canada Council.  

His early writings focused on poetry, several of which were published in various Canadian and European journals including Fiddlehead, the Malahat Review and Prism International.

His playwrighting and dramaturgy career created such memorable plays and musicals as the Canadian premiere of Tommy for MUSSOC (at UBC), The Final Performance of Vaslav Nijinsky St. Moritz-Dorf 1919, Salty Tears on a Hangnail Face, 84 Acres and Some Kind of Saviour plus co-creations of Medea, The Bacchae, and Deep Thought (Tamahnous Theatre),  Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow (Vancouver Children’s Festival), We Too: Chronicle of the Coal Tyee (Malaspina College, now VIU), plus the screenplay for Inside The Reflection, a film based on his play Nijinsky.

Jeremy also worked in radio as a freelance documentary maker for CBC and the National Film Board in the emerging film industry of Vancouver as a sound technician and assistant director.

An obituary cannot bring to light the depth of love and admiration his sisters, Marian, their sons and offspring, other family members, colleagues, friends and acquaintances have for Jeremy Long.   We are devastated to lose him as we were saddened to witness his stoicism in the face of his many health challenges.  He was brave and handsome, the best father and loving mate.    We love you beyond measure and will miss you forever.  

The family wishes to acknowledge with deep gratitude the incredible care and attention Jeremy received over the years from Dr. Shaun Humphreys (retired), Dr. Darren Biberdorf and Dr. Jeffrey McCracken.  Thanks also to Dr. Milvi Tiislar and Dr. Jody Anderson at Royal Jubilee Hospital where the many internists, hospitalists, specialists, interns, nurses, technicians and care aides provided such compassionate care during the last weeks of his life.   Thank you all so much for your professional expertise and the many resources we were provided.     The beautiful and loving honouring ceremony Jeremy received from the team on 8S upon his final departure will be forever seared in our memories.

To commemorate Jeremy’s life, a donation to the First People’s Cultural Foundation or any indigenous cultural organization in BC would reflect his esteem and gratitude for that part of his life in the arts in which he was most proud to serve.  www.fpcf.ca

A Celebration of Life will be held in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive, Victoria, BC, on Sunday, August 18, 2024, at 2:00 pm. All Welcome.

Interment at Ross Bay Cemetery.  

Condolences can be offered to the family below.

McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com

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