Obituary of Paul L. Longenecker

Paul L. Longenecker, age 88; a devoted husband, dad, grandpa and great-grandpa, went home to be with Jesus on Saturday morning, November 11, 2023.  Born in Conoy Township, he was the son of the late Amos Z. Longenecker and Grace L. Longenecker.  He was married to the late Mariana Ebersole Longenecker for 47 years and to Louise Showalter Longenecker for 17 ½ years. 

He attended Kraybill Mennonite High School in PA and later earned his GED.  In 1960 Paul and Mariana moved to Colquitt, GA where he was involved as song leader and in youth ministry in a small congregation.  In 1981 they moved to Atmore, AL and served as house parents to prison chaplain assistants and later managed a local motel and restaurant.  In 1985 Paul and Mariana returned to their roots in PA where they managed Ridgeview Restaurant for 16 ½ years.  After his retirement, Paul worked part-time at Giant Food Stores in Elizabethtown for 18 years.  He thoroughly enjoyed meeting and interacting with the customers and won accolades for excellent customer service.

Paul is survived by his second wife, Louise Showalter Longenecker; brother John Longenecker, sister Martha Longenecker Zook (Ed), and three children:  Steve Longenecker (Lenora), Sylvia Weaver (Luke), and Lyn Longenecker (Penni); and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

He is predeceased by his parents, Amos, and Grace Longenecker, his first wife Mariana Longenecker, and son Daryl Longenecker and his wife Janet, and two great-granddaughters.  He is also predeceased by three sisters:  Ruth Bechtold Fisher, Lois Hartzler, and Esther Boll.

Paul was a loyal member of Marietta Community Chapel where he served many years on the worship team and other areas of service.  He was a member of the Partners In Evangelism (P.I.E.)  committee, serving more than 30 years. 

Paul leaves a legacy of unwavering faith in his Savior and Lord Jesus that was visibly lived out in everyday life both in word and in example.  He will be remembered for his keen sense of humor, his love for music and for his beautiful bass voice.   He often sang in quartets and choirs. 

Paul loved spending time with his family via telephone and in person whenever possible.  He had the ability to strike up a conversation at work with anyone including the shy kid riding his mom’s grocery cart:  “You don’t like to eat ice cream, do you?” Or to the more outgoing kid, “Don’t you have a job?”  At home Paul kept an immaculate lawn and loved riding his John Deere lawn mower.  He was an avid Scrabble player, and played to win! 

The family would like to thank the staff of Lancaster General Hospital, Gentiva Hospice, and Visiting Angels for their attentive care and support.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent in Paul’s memory to:  Marietta Community Chapel, 1125 River Road, Marietta, PA 17547, or to Partners In Evangelism, c/o Good News Fellowship, PO 55316, Birmingham, AL  35225.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday morning, November 18, 2023, at 11:00 AM at Marietta Community Chapel, 1125 River Road, Marietta, PA 17547. A public viewing will be held at Marietta Community Chapel on Friday evening, November 17th, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. There will be a visitation on Saturday morning from 10:00 AM until the time of the service. There will be no public viewing at the church on Saturday. A meal will immediately follow the service in the church fellowship hall. A private burial will be held at the convenience of the family in Goods Mennonite Cemetery.     

To express a condolence with the family, visit www.spencefuneralservices.com. To view a livestream of Saturday’s service, visit https://my.gather.app/remember/paul-longenecker.