‘Live like the Longs’: Family killed in Utah flash flood honored in funeral

OREM — Provo Fire Capt. Spencer Long was remembered as compassionate, goofy, and full of life as he and his family were honored during a funeral Wednesday morning.

That funeral at the UCCU Center in Orem was held nearly two weeks after Long, his wife Katrina, and three of their children — Reid, 20, Thayne, 13, and Gage, 12 — died in a flash flood caused by heavy rainfall in central Utah.

Many current and retired firefighters from multiple departments joined other members of the public in paying respects to the Long family. Last week, firefighters from across northern Utah lined overpasses to honor the fire captain and his family.

Additionally, the community has rallied around Long family member Lydia Vernon, Katrina Long’s daughter, who was not with the family in Wayne County when the flood happened on July 17. An online fundraiser* raised more than $300,000 for her.

Funeral speakers shared memories about each member of the Long family and the impact they had on those around them.

Capt. Spencer Long

“What can be shared about Spencer is the person he was,” Provo Fire Battalion Chief Jeremy Moon said of his colleague. “Spencer was a very down-to-a earth person. What you see is what you get. The public saw a very professional, compassionate, charitable and honest firefighter and paramedic.”

Casey Long said his brother was the oldest, the “leader of the pack” who all his siblings looked up to. Spencer Long was always willing to help, loved adventures, and lived by the motto that “life is what you make it,” his little brother said.

Spencer Long started out as a wildland firefighter after serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was so proud of the work he did, Casey Long said.

“Spencer, in all the jobs he was doing, knew how dangerous that could be and he took that seriously. He loved what he did and he loved his family,” Casey Long said.

Spencer Long deeply loved his family and friends, volunteering to be his wife’s guinea pig for her new spa treatments, playing hockey with his sons (who quickly became better at the sport than him, his brother joked) and treating every new firefighter as a family member.

Moon spoke fondly of Spencer Long, saying he served as his captain for six years while becoming friends with him. Moon took comfort knowing Spencer Long was a “subject matter expert” on many specialized departments of firefighting.

“As a crew, we saw the goofy, but humble, dry-wit humor, family-oriented guy, content with a Pepsi and a Snickers,” Moon said.

Spencer Long loved Panda Express, dressing up for parties, organizing team member adventures and always saying “I’m in” to new things.

“The advice I learned from my friend is to live like the Longs. Go all in, make great memories, be a part of the stories, and try something new when given the chance,” Moon said. “We had a lot of great memories and I will always cherish those moments together.”

Katrina Long

Samantha Butler, Katrina Long’s business partner at Summit Medical Spa, recalled the many hats that Katrina Long wore, including wife, mother, and former member of the Mona City Council. She even served for a time as acting mayor.

“She was someone that people trusted without question,” Butler said. “She led with integrity, wisdom, and genuine love for her community.”

Butler added that Katrina Long “never did anything halfway” and never stopped learning. She said her business partner was committed to making a difference in the spa industry and investing in other people.

“Somehow,” Butler said, “she gave her best to every single role she held.”

Travis Gubler, Katrina Long’s brother, recalled his sister’s drive and commitment in her business endeavors and learning the art of massage therapy.

“She wasn’t satisfied with only being able to be a healer herself, but had the desire to pass that on to others to maximize the increased amount of people that she could reach and help,” he said. “I truly think that’s why she started the spa.”

Gubler said his sister inspired him to take risks and achieve things, despite the difficulty.

“She lived with intention in everything she did,” Gubler said, while noting that his sister was not perfect. “What made her so inspiring was that she was always moving forward.”

Reid Vernon

Joshua Vernon, who was previously married to Katrina Long, said his 20-year-old son’s favorite expression to use was “not gonna lie.” Although Reid never lied, hearing that expression always brought a smile to his family’s faces.

“So today I borrow it to say, not gonna lie, this eulogy, together with the writings I’ve worked on this past week, have been the most difficult words I have ever written,” Vernon said.

Words fail to describe the person Reid was, his dad said, and despite the simplicity of the words “son, brother and friend,” the terms are “something quite special when associated with him.”

Vernon shared a story of Reid as a child, who was so determined and at times stubborn. One night, Reid “defiantly” refused to eat his mashed potatoes during dinner, causing him to stay sitting at the table throughout the whole movie night the family had planned.

“This was just a glimpse of Reid’s strong will. Fortunately for us, almost all of his steadfast and immovable moments after this were focused on wonderful and wise pursuits,” Vernon said.

Vernon said Reid always rose up to challenges, in school and in life.

“It suffices to say, I’m so proud to be his dad. He surpassed all my hopes for him in so many ways and I’m so grateful to have watched him grow,” Vernon said.

Reid was full of brotherly love, with a seemingly endless supply of energy and willingness to play games and go on adventures with his five little brothers, and lending a listening ear to his older sister.

He was a great friend to all, his dad said, reminiscing on the silly and rambunctious games Reid would play with his friends. Vernon shared how Reid also touched many lives while serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Although he misses his son greatly, Vernon said he knows Reid is strengthening and comforting his family up in heaven, continuing to be a wonderful son, brother and friend.

“I pray that each of us can be the sons or daughters, brothers or sisters, and friends that will spread joy, light and love and lift others the way that Reid did,” he said.

Thayne Long

Cole Quarnberg, a family friend, called Thayne “such a good kid” who had a “quiet but lasting impact” on others.

“Thayne was a very big mixture of Katrina and Spencer,” Quarnberg said. “He had the fire in him that Katrina had, and he had the quiet and thoughtfulness that Spencer had a lot of the time.”

Quarnberg said the almost 14-year-old loved the outdoors, fishing, and camping. He recalled one time when Thayne went camping with some friends on Dec. 31 — in the middle of winter — and stayed out the whole night.

“They wanted to be the very first boys who slept on Mount Nebo in the new year,” Quarnberg said. “Thayne was very driven like Katrina.”

Thayne Long played hockey and was dedicated to it, Quarnberg remembered. Around 30 boys wearing their hockey jerseys attended the funeral in support of their teammates Thayne and Gage.

Thayne also started a car detailing business. Admittedly, the teen didn’t do a great job cleaning Quarnberg’s truck the first time, he said, but he later gave it another try that made it look “immaculate.”

“His drive for being the best at what he could be — that was his thing,” Quarnberg said.

Thayne was “wise beyond his years,” Quarnberg said, and was a young man of faith.

“Thayne knew who he was and how he fit into God’s plan,” he said. “Thayne would confidently tell you he was a child of God, a disciple of Christ, and a child of the covenant.”

Quarnberg urged friends of Thayne to “be aware of everybody around you.”

“Be aware that if someone’s struggling, be there for them,” Quarnberg said, “because Thayne would have done that.”

Gage Long

The youngest Long, often referred to as “little dude” by his mother, was remembered as a high-spirited, compassionate and smart boy who made everyone feel seen.

“Gage may have been small in stature but the influence of his life was anything but small. He changed people by simply being himself. I know Gage will be missed by all of us but I also know we are better because we knew him,” Walker said.

Walker served as the bishop of the Longs’ congregation, and was a close family friend of the Longs. He shared stories from people close to Gage, including several from his schoolteachers.

Gage was described as someone who loved learning and was always attentive in school. He was diagnosed in 2023 with Type 1 diabetes, and would often tell the school secretary that he was worried he was “missing the good stuff” in class when he had to go to the office to regulate his blood sugar.

Gage would often walk around looking at flowers and bushes while his brothers fished. He loved learning more about the world and used wildflower and berry books he had bought.

His orchestra teacher told Walker that Gage started a tradition of students dancing and cheering on their fellow classmates when they had to play their instruments to help them feel less nervous.

Walker shared thoughts from Gage’s hockey coach, who said Gage had a maturity, kindness and positivity well beyond his years. He once even stepped aside starting a game as goalie because he knew his teammate also deserved the opportunity.

“A leader without needing a title, a competitor without selfishness and a young man who brought joy wherever he went,” the coach’s quote said. “His impact will never fade. His spirit lives on in every joke we remember, every story we tell, every child who feels welcome because of the example he set and every life he touched with his kindness.”

Walker also quoted Gage’s friend Trenton: “Gage always made me feel included … He always had a smile on his face and knew how to make everyone laugh. He was my best friend.”

Honoring the Long family

Katrina Long’s mother, Susan Gubler, emotionally sang the song “His Hands” at the funeral. Just before she sang, she told those at the funeral that while there has been some negativity shared online, she appreciated those who have shared positive stories.

“My loved ones were swept away by a flood of filth and destruction. They would like us to return the favor and send a tsunami of goodwill into our neighborhoods and social media,” she said.

Even though this has been an incredibly difficult time, she hopes people follow the Long family’s legacy of doing good to others by sharing posts of positive thoughts until “grief is replaced by peace.”

Outside the UCCU Center on the Utah Valley University campus, funeral attendees expressed love and support for the Long family, including many affiliated with various fire departments throughout Utah. Some of them knew Spencer Long personally.

“I just wanted to be here and support his family,” said Cliff Stott, a retired Provo firefighter. “He wasn’t on my crew, but I saw him a lot … He was competent, quiet, a wonderful guy. Just a guy that I admired.”

“Everybody, when you die, they always have good things to say about you, but you couldn’t say enough good about him,” said retired Orem firefighter David Forsyth. “He was just that kind of guy that you couldn’t help but love him.”

Provo Fire Battalion Chief Jason Branson, who worked for years with Spencer Long, called his colleague “one of the greatest guys I’ve ever known.”

“We’re glad to be here to celebrate his life,” Branson said, “and couldn’t be more proud to know him.”

Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, also attended the funeral. He declined to comment to KSL other than to say that what happened to the Long family was a tragedy.

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