Leicester "Les" Longden's Obituary
Leicester “Les” Ralph Longden, age 75, passed away in Muskegon, MI on Wednesday, July 6, 2022. He was born on November 29, 1946, to his parents William and Eva (Rosser) Longden in Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada. On June 15, 1968, he married the former Linda Maas, and they spent 54 wonderful years together. Les was quite well educated, having received his bachelor's degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, his Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and his Ph.D. from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. Les was a gifted and precise writer, and throughout his life he collaborated often with leaders of the Methodist Church. He had a knack for taking complex things and making them simple and easier to understand, which came in handy in the 15 years that he was a seminary professor at the University of Dubuque in Iowa. Throughout his life he was a pastor at three churches: Clear Lake in Salem, Oregon, Rose City in Portland, Oregon, and Trinity Methodist in Lansing, Michigan, but he also was happy to fill in preaching wherever he was needed. An avid reader and collector of books, he had over 6,000 books in his personal library. He enjoyed gardening and running, having run several marathons, but he was most passionate about helping people find their God-given direction. Les will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Linda; two children: Leicester (Jennie) Longden and Lisa (Adam) Murrison; six grandchildren: Adam Murrison, Lucas Longden, Matthew Murrison, Brady Longden, Emily Murrison, and Chloe Longden; and two brothers: Warren (Betty) Longden and Paul (Tammy) Longden. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Eva, and his brother, David Longden. A FUNERAL SERVICE will be held for Les at 1:00 PM on Tuesday, July 12, at Lake Harbor United Methodist Church, 4861 Henry St, Norton Shores, MI 49441. VISITATION will be taking place on Monday, July 11, from 5:00-7:00 PM at The Lee Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 6291 Harvey St, Norton Shores, MI, 49444, as well as an hour prior to the service on Tuesday. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made out to ALS of Michigan. Please sign the family’s online guestbook and share memories at sytsemafh.com. For those who were not able to attend the service in person, a video recording is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JThVvqI_a8U
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