Dudley Longacre

Dudley Bryant Longacre, 96, passed away Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

Visitation will be 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Sunday, October 15, 2023, at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road, Abilene.

Funeral Services will be 11:00 a.m., Monday, October 16, 2023, at First Baptist Church, Abilene, with Rodney Kidd, C.V. Blake, and Joe Frush officiating. A private graveside service will be held at Elmwood Memorial Park. Services are under the direction of The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road, Abilene.

Dudley was born on July 26, 1927, to B.B. and Julia Katherine Surles Longacre in Cisco, Texas. They moved to Ft. Worth when he was one year old. He graduated from Arlington Heights High School and attended the University of Texas for one year. He graduated from Abilene Christian University in 1948.

As a member of the greatest generation, Dudley joined the U.S. Navy in 1945, where he served for 16 months. Following his first tour of duty in the Navy, Dudley worked as a civilian for ASC Department of Agriculture. He then accepted a job with the Haliburton Company in Anson, Texas. In 1950, following Lindy’s birth, Dudley was recalled back to the U.S. Navy. After 16 months of his second tour of duty in El Centro, California, he returned to Anson to resume work at Haliburton. Roy was born during that time. Dudley then volunteered to move with Haliburton to El Tigre, Venezuela with his family. Following four years in Venezuela, Dudley and his family moved to Abilene so he could go into business with his dad at the Longacre Gun and Locksmith Shop. When his dad retired in 1961, Dudley took over the business until he retired in 1992.

Dudley married Evelyn Roy Pippen in 1948 and she preceded him in death in 1997. They had two children: Lindy (Rodney) Kidd of Lynchburg, Virginia, and Roy (Sandy) Longacre of Abilene. Dudley had eight grandchildren: Robert (Lysann) Kidd, Laura (Andrew) Shanks, Leanna (Nathan) Shepherd, Leslie (Felix) Ring, Randy (Jessica) Kidd, Luke (Lindsay) Longacre, Wesley (Amanda) Longacre, and Chad (Holly) Longacre. Dudley had 22 great-grandchildren.

Dudley married Pat Johnson in October 1998. She preceded him in death in 2015. Dudley always thought of Pat’s family as his own. Pat’s children are Pamela (David) Coons of Lubbock, Cheryl Johnson of Austin, and Cynthia (Leo) Brown of Shawnee, OK. Pat had five grandchildren: April (Robert) Lewis, Stephen (Chelsea) Brown, Rachel (Andrew) Wideman, Krista (Michael) Mayerich, and Becca (Ben) Ellery. She also had 15 great-grandchildren.

Dudley is also survived by his sister, Gaye Newton, who was an invaluable help to him in his last few years. Dudley had a nephew, Scott Marler (Pam), and a niece, Cherie Gildea.

Dudley’s enjoyment of outdoor activities included tennis, hunting, fishing, skiing, and more tennis. He was an active member of the Abilene Country Club where he was on the Seniors Tennis Team for several years, playing until age 92 when his knees finally gave out.

Most important, Dudley was a follower of Jesus.  He was an active member of First Baptist Church, Abilene, for over 50 years, serving as a deacon and was a former chairman of the deacons. For a while, his dad, B.B., Dudley, and his son, Roy, all served as deacons at the same time. At First Baptist Church, Dudley worked in Sunday School, served on several committees, was involved in the prayer works ministry, volunteered at the Family Life Center, served at City Lights and on the Bereavement Committee, and was active in other missions of the church. Dudley also served as a greeter for many years at First Baptist Church, and those who sat in the front two sections on the east side received a warm welcome and handshake every Sunday.

Memorial donations may be made through First Baptist Church to the City Light ministry, the FBC Hope Center, or the Bereavement Committee.