Fred Long

Fred Long, loved by his family, passed away on May 17, 2022.

Fred was born May 29, 1927, in Shidler, Oklahoma to Charles and Eva (Barger) Long.

He had an idyllic childhood, hunting in the hills of Oklahoma, and always being outdoors. He graduated from Moore High School where he was active in baseball and football and was the Vice President of his Graduating Class.

At the age of 16, he enrolled in The University of Oklahoma. The United States was in the midst of World War II and without his Mother’s permission and one year of college completed, he joined the United States Navy and was shipped to serve on the USS Block Island CVE Carrier in the Pacific for two years. After the War ended, he returned to his beloved University of Oklahoma where he earned his Petroleum Engineering Degree in 1951. He was certainly proud to be a University of Oklahoma Alumni and was one of the Founders of the Sarkeys Energy Center at The University of Oklahoma. He started his career with Phillips Petroleum and was sent to Louisiana, West Texas and South Texas. In 1957, he started the First South Texas Independent Petroleum Consulting Firm. Over the next 70 years, he was involved in oil and gas exploration, along with other segments of the industry. He was respected and trusted by his peers and his handshake on a deal was better than any contractual agreement. His word was his bond.

In 1976, Fred began ranching in Bee County Texas. His vision was to create an efficient working cattle ranch that would thrive and coexist with the native wildlife. His happiest times were spent outdoors at L2 Ranch working in the pastures, checking his herd and protecting the wildlife. Every time he came upon a newborn calf and its mother, he was always amazed at the communication ability a Dam had with her calf. He set out to develop a Herd of Top Quality Cattle that carried superior Performance traits. He succeeded in both. His L2 Beefmaster Cattle are respected and bred in the United States, Mexico, South America, Asia and many other countries. His ranching philosophy, the land, cattle and wildlife that roamed his land warranted his respect, care and protection. He continually worked to improve the quality and consistency of his cattle and his competition was to produce a better calf crop than his last one. He always said if you reach your Goals you didn’t set them high enough. In 1988, he was honored to receive the Beefmaster Breeder of the Year Award, In 2010, he received the BBU Environmental Award and in 2015, he was extremely honored to receive the Prestigious Live Oak Legend Award, and in 2021, he was inducted into the Beefmaster Breeders Hall of Fame.

He is predeceased by his Mother and Father, Eva and Charles Long; his brother, Reverend Donald Long; and his sister, Dora Lockhart.

He is survived by his loving wife, Judy; sons, Gary Long and Jim Long; his stepson, Robert Harrison (Griselda); grandsons, Jack Alexander and Maximillien Levi Harrison of Corpus Christi, Texas; and his sister-in-law, Ina Long. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you honor a charity of your choice. Fred’s Choice was The University of Oklahoma Mewwbourne College of Earth and Energy, Sarkeys Energy Center, 100 East Boyd Street, Room 1510, Norman, OK 73019-1015. The mission of the Mewbourne College of Earth & Energy is to provide an academic environment in earth sciences and engineering, energy education and research that contains the full breadth of the University of Oklahoma educational experience.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, May 23, at L2 Ranch, 5525 FM 799, Beeville, Texas 78102.