This eulogy was written by Ed's wife Mary Jo Kennedy.

Ed was born on July 27, 1947, in Deerwood, Minnesota. He grew up in Rochester, MN, and moved to Mankato, MN, in 1963. Ed graduated from Mankato West High School in 1965. After high school, Ed joined the United States Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1968.

Ed met the love of his life, Mary Jo Kennedy, in October 1984. They were married in July 1990. Ed received his MBA from Mankato State University in 1994 and was employed as a manager by Knox Lumber in Eagan, Minnesota.

After retirement, Ed and Mary Jo followed their dream and purchased a 5thWheel Camper. They spent the next 15 years camping and traveling throughout the U.S. Ed was a very easy-going, friendly man with a great attitude; anyone who knew him loved him.

Ed passed away from a massive heart attack in Orlando, Florida, on December 10, 2024. He is survived by his beloved boys, Christopher, Benjamin, Samuel, and Andrew, and by his stepchildren, who loved him dearly, Chuck, Catherine, Bonnie, and Michael, his three grandchildren, Clayton, Tabitha, and Taylor, and his great-grandson, Weston.

P.S. Ed and I (Jan Jensen) were married from 1969 to 1981. He was a member of the Alpha Kappa Omega Fraternity while attending Mankato State, and made many longtime friends there.