Phil Longan

James Phillip Longan, 68 of Stillwater passed peacefully from this life on July 27, 2014 in Oklahoma City, OK with his family by his side. Services have been entrusted to the care of Palmer Marler Funeral Home and a service celebrating Phils remarkable life will be held at 10am on Wednesday, July 30th at the Palmer Marler Funeral Home Chapel in Stillwater, OK. Interment will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery S. of Hwy 33 on Redlands Rd. Public visitation will be held on Tues from 8am to 8pm at the funeral home.
James Phillip Longan was born on December 10, 1945 in Stillwater, OK to James Leland and Alpha Mae (Arthur) Longan. He spent a short time attending Perkins-Tryon Public Schools before moving to Coyle, where he was raised. Phil was a graduate of Coyle High School Class of 1964. In 1965 Phil married TwIla Shellhammer and shortly after they married Phil joined the Army Reserves and attended basic training at Fort Polk, LA, where he served as a cook and began a lifelong love of cooking.
Upon his discharge, Phil returned to Coyle and began working as a carpenter with Ronnie Shellhammer for W D Mebane. In 1970, Phil welcomed the birth of his daughter Terri and in 1973 his 2nd daughter Tammi was born. In 1984 he opened Phil Longan Construction. He specialized in residential construction and built many homes throughout Payne, Noble, and Lincoln counties. In 1991, Phil proudly welcomed the birth of his son James Theron.
In the early 1990s, Phil and Jerry Carpenter began Heritage Construction and began building homes together in the Stillwater area. Soon after, they welcomed Dusty Lane to Heritage Construction and expanded to residential and commercial projects. Over the next two decades Phil and his partners built Heritage into one of Central Oklahomas premier construction firms. Before retiring in 2008 Phil helped oversee multiple major construction projects including Joeseppis, Spirit Bank, Morrison High School Event Center, Perkins-Tryon High School and Elementary School, The Stillwater First United Methodist Church Family Life Center, and Eagle Heights Baptist Church. Following the Mulhall tornado in 1999, Phil was also instrumental in rebuilding many homes, as well as the Mulhall Orlando Fair Barn. Phil was very proud of each and every project he was a part of, as well as the hundreds of quality homes he built in Stillwater and the surrounding communities.
When he was not working, he could be found reading, restoring classic cars, hunting, fishing, collecting coins, or trap shooting. He was a member of several local homebuilders associations, as well as the Moose Lodge, and the Perkins Jaycees. Phil loved to escape his busy life and head to his personal piece of heaven, his home on Grand Lake where he could usually be found fishing or leaning over a grill or stove cooking up one of his famous delicious mystery concoctions. Phil was a family man who always prioritized his family above all else. He was never happier than when he was surrounded by his loving family, and he was born to be a grandpa.
Phil was a kind-hearted man who was strong willed, ornery, generous, and very proud yet extremely humble. He was a protective father, a caring brother, a loving son, a proud grandpa, a dependable employee, a patient mentor, and an honest friend. He will be missed by many people and his legacy of hard work and integrity will live on through his children and grandchildren, as well as the many lives of those he touched.
Phil was preceded in death by his father J.L. Longan. He is survived by his mother: Alpha Mae Longan of Coyle. His children: Terri Prough and husband Michael, of Perkins, Tammi Smith of Stillwater, and James Theron Schroeder-Longan of Stillwater. Five siblings: Gary Longan and wife Sue, of Perkins, Rhonda Shafer of Mulhall, Stanley Longan and wife Sherry, of Stillwater. Rheta Arnett and husband Steve, of Edmond, and Toni Coleman and husband Rob, of Perkins. Six grandchildren: James Dillon Prough, Ali Prough, Gage Prough, Justin Prough, Lance Smith and Angel Andrew. He is also survived by his partner of two decades and the mother of his son Theron, Terinda Schroeder.
In Lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made in Phils name to the Oak Grove Cemetery Association or the Perkins Territorial Plaza in care of Palmer Marler Funeral Home 5106 N. Washington. Stillwater, OK 74075.
Condolences may be sent to the family via an online guest book at www.pmcfh.com