Richard Tiffany Longstreet Jr.

Richard Tiffany Longstreet Jr., South Abington Twp., died Tuesday morning at Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton after a brief illness. He was the husband of Phyllis Conte Longstreet. The couple had been married for 44 years.

Born in Scranton, son of the late Richard T. Sr. and Shirley Richards Longstreet and stepson of Ann O'Brien Longstreet, he grew up in Chinchilla and attended Abington Heights High School.

Throughout the years, Dick had various occupations, including owning and operating his own auto body shop. Dick was meticulous about his trade, he was well-known for his body work and created beautiful and intricate custom paint and color schemes. Before his retirement, he worked in the trucking industry as an owner/operator.

Dick's first love was stock car racing. He was well-known at local tracks including Penn Can Speedway, Five Mile Point Speedway and Mok-a-Tek. He was a popular late model driver holding multiple track championships and later in his career owned and operated several dirt modifieds. Dick was one of the original "50 Greatest Drivers" at Five Mile Point and was later inducted into the Penn Can Speedway Hall of Fame. After retiring from driving, Dick was active in promoting the sport, creating Speed Sport Showcase a local stock car show and also acting as co-promoter of Penn Can Speedway.

Dick was a self-made man. A loyal friend to many, Dick possessed a quick wit and a great sense of humor. He was the strong silent type, always cooking up a plan or a new idea, never sitting still. He loved to work in the yard and putter around the house. He was looked up to by many and will be sorely missed.

Also surviving are his three sons, Richard T. Longstreet III and his wife, Mindy, Scott Twp.; Mark Longstreet, South Abington Twp.; and Daniel Longstreet and his wife, Margo, Scott Twp.; a daughter, Brenda Longstreet Gowe, Vestal, N.Y.; two brothers, Sam Longstreet and his wife, Lisa, Clarks Summit; and Bill Longstreet and his wife, Anna, Falls; a sister, Lynn Walters, Bluffton, S.C.; five grandchildren, Richard Longstreet IV, Brooke Longstreet, Evan McHugh, Erin Gowe and Mason Longstreet; and several nieces and nephews.

He was also preceded in death by his son-in-law, Stephen Gowe.

The family will receive friends Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home and Cremation Services Inc., 418 S. State St., Clarks Summit.A funeral service and interment will be private at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Dick's honor to the Spaulding Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that provides money for individuals who are injured in race-related accidents, c/o the Spaulding Foundation Inc., 1074 Sulpher Springs Road, Owego, NY 13827. -