Evi Alfred Long Jr.

Evi Alfred Long Jr. passed away unexpectedly on Friday, May 29, 2026, at the age of 78, at CRMC in Coffeyville, Kansas.

Evi was born on February 12, 1948, in Coffeyville, Kansas, to Evi Alfred Sr. and Edna Lucille (Hilderbrand) Long. He had one sister, Vivian. Evi attended school in Coffeyville and graduated from Field Kindley Memorial High School. Following graduation, Evi enlisted in the United States Navy, proudly serving his country during the Vietnam War. He was proud of his service and dedication to his country.

After returning home, Evi held a variety of jobs throughout his life, including driving a semi-truck for Harry Keith Construction and working for Funk's Manufacturing, Dixon Industries, and Jencast. He later joined the City of Independence, where he worked at the airport until his retirement.

As a young bachelor, Evi often stopped at the Country Inn diner in Dearing, Kansas, for a meal. One day in November 1981, he met a lovely lady named Linda Erwin. During their conversation, he learned that Linda was a local beautician, which soon led to Evi becoming a frequent customer at her beauty shop. What began with a haircut blossomed into a romance, and the couple married on November 24, 1982. Linda preceded him in death on September 3, 2024. Together, they shared 42 wonderful years of marriage.

Evi loved Linda deeply and embraced her two sons as his own. He was truly the man he did not have to be. He loved Linda as Christ loved the church, setting aside his rowdy ways to devote himself fully to his family. No matter the need or the hour, he was always there to help. He rarely told Linda no and worked hard to make her wishes and dreams a reality.

Evi firmly believed that there was a place for everything and that everything should be in its place. He was exceptionally organized and took pride in his collections, which included Hot Wheels cars, M&M and California Raisin memorabilia, knives, and Breyer horses. He loved fishing, camping, and spending time outdoors. A talented shade-tree mechanic, Evi could engineer or repair just about anything he set his mind to. Hard work never intimidated him.

Evi loved his family fiercely. He may not have been George, Danny, and Cassie’s biological father, but you certainly could not have convinced him of that. His children felt the same way about him. Evi’s legacy will live on through his sons, George Noland and wife Mary, and Danny Noland and his best friend, Lana Noland; his daughter, Cassie (Noland) Grigsby and husband Robert; twelve grandchildren; twenty-six great-grandchildren; his sister, Vivian West and husband Jeff McDonald; as well as his niece and nephew. In addition to his wife, Evi was preceded in death by his parents and his granddaughter, Sammy Jo Noland.

Visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at Ford-Wulf-Bruns Chapel, 2405 Woodland Avenue in Coffeyville. A funeral service will be held at Ford-Wulf-Bruns Chapel at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, 2026, with grandsons Nicholas Noland and Jason Kramer officiating. Cremation will follow the service, and Evi will later be inurned beside his wife at Robbins Cemetery during a private family committal. The family requests that those wishing to honor Evi’s life do so through memorial contributions to either the Coffeyville Veterans Memorial Park Association’s Wall of Valor Project or the Wounded Warrior Project. Contributions may be left with or mailed to the chapel.

To leave a message of condolence, share a memory, or view the live stream of the service, please visit Evi’s obituary page at www.fordwulfbrunschapel.com.