Richard W. Longman

Richard Longman, late of New York City, died in Abington, PA, on October 7th, 2024.  He was born in Iowa City, Iowa, third son of Lester and Florence Longman.  He grew up in Iowa City and Pacific Palisades, California.  He was a graduate of the University of California - Riverside and received graduate degrees from the University of California - San Diego.

Richard moved east in 1969 to work with Bell Labs in Murray Hill, New Jersey, and a year later took a position as professor of engineering at Columbia University where he taught for fifty-three years, retiring in January 2024 while still mentoring a graduate student.  He specialized in control theory for space exploration and robots.  He has lectured at MIT and at universities in Germany, Taiwan, China, Thailand, and Australia.  He has received several awards for his research.

Photography, especially abstractions of reflections in water, was a serious hobby leading to one-man shows in Bohemia, Prague, Columbia University, Rensselaer Polytech, and Norfolk, VA.  He also supported his wife Marilynn’s dance company for many years.

His wife, Marilynn predeceased him in 2010.  He is survived by his spouse,  Sudthipong Wingwon, and by his brothers Kenneth (Mary) of Warminster, PA, and Stanley of Gainesville, Georgia.

Services are private.

Contributions in his name may be given to the Benevolent Care Fund at Ann’s Choice.  20,000 Ann’s Choice Way, Warminster, PA, 18974.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Richard W. Longman, please visit our floral store.