Margaret Ann Longino's Obituary
Margaret Ann Longino of North Richland Hills, Texas passed away on January 26, 2025.
She was born October 13, 1947, in Meridian, Mississippi. She was preceded in death by her father, Houston W. Longino Jr., mother, Helen H. Longino and brother, Houston W. Longino III.
Since her father was in the Air Force, Ann moved many times growing up. She lived in Mississippi, Washington, Massachusetts, Kansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas as well as several places in Japan.
She graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery, Alabama in 1965. She attended Mississippi State College for Women (now renamed) from 1965- 1967 where she majored in interior design and was a member of the Rosette Social Club. After two years at MSCW she discovered the art department was fabulous, but she was not a fabulous artist. She also discovered she was not cut out to be a “Southern Belle” and there were just too many women! She transferred to Arkansas State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Art Education in 1969. At Arkansas State she loved her time as an active member of Chi Omega Fraternity (Sorority) and Kappa Pi Honorary Art Society. The coeducational environment at ASU was also a pleasant change. After graduation she worked for a year as a layout artist for Mercury Printing in Memphis, Tennessee where she thought she would be designing pages for brochures and pamphlets but soon learned that “layout artist” was a fancy name for a typesetter so she set type all day. Mercury Printing was located near the airport and after hearing and seeing airplanes all day, having a dad who absolutely loved his days of flying and after reading a very positive article on being a stewardess, she decided to apply much to their surprise she was accepted by Delta Airlines and that began her real career. She flew with Delta for 35 years and while it had good times and bad, on the whole it was the best job ever and she wouldn’t trade a minute. When Delta pulled out of the DFW area, she retired because she did not want to commute to Atlanta. She then went to work for her friend, Kathleen F. Lehrmann who was a probate/estate attorney. They made a great team for seventeen years. She retired from legal work in October 2022.
A few months later, March 2023 she learned she had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. She was grateful to everyone at UT Southwestern. She could not have asked for a more helpful, courteous and
caring group. Their knowledge and care lengthened her life and for that she was thankful.
She was a member of First Baptist Church Hurst and wanted to thank her church family for the love
and support they gave her. She had never experienced a “church family” before and just could not
express what a blessing it was to feel so loved and cared about. Her church family was what really
kept her going during her journey with cancer. She could never have made it without her special
ladies, Sylvia, Donna, and Debbie. They made sure her every need was taken care of and tried to
keep her out of trouble which, was often not easy to do. But the Lord put her in good hands and she
felt so very blessed. She was also able to discover places God wanted her to serve - Quilters for
Christ, Homebound Ministry and some other areas she started on her own. She loved every minute.
Not many know this, but she considered her cancer, in essence, an answer to prayer. For a long time
she had asked God to keep her from having to live alone in her later years. She was concerned she
would be lost not knowing how to work electronics and not having or knowing any people that could
show her how to do things or that she wanted them to do it for her. She did not have anyone and
would have been alone and lost in her electronic nightmare and it really panicked her. She was able to
say that her cancer journey had been the “best of times and the worst of times.” Cancer was certainly
not how she expected God to answer her prayer but his plan was perfect, it did answer her prayer and
for that she was thankful. The cancer has been challenging but the joy and blessing she received from
her friends and from serving and helping others was the best time ever. God was so very good to her
and she was truly extremely blessed for the extra, beautiful days the Lord gave her. During her last
year she felt God’s presence and knew he was beside her every step of her journey. He blessed her
with friends who stood beside her, strength and courage for her journey and tasks that filled empt
hours but also gave her great joy because they served and helped others.
She is survived by her sister-in-law, Beverly Longino, several cousins and their families, Betty, Frances
Jean, Alice, Bill and Linda and many loving friends.
There will be no funeral. Her ashes will be placed in a crypt in Memphis Memorial Park next to her
parents. Donations can be made to Billy Graham Ministries, St. Jude’s or a charity of your choice
What’s your fondest memory of Margaret?
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