Uncle Ed

Happy-go-lucky and working ‘cause he wants to

Uncle Ed, Aunt Colleen, Logan (left) and Austin

Sitting in Uncle Ed’s backyard, the early April sun shining down, shifting our bench every thirty minutes or so as the shade of the massive pines kept consuming us and bringing the cold, our conversation touched on every topic imaginable. Our Sunday together started a little after lunchtime on the deck of The Fitzgerald restaurant, chatting sports, then moved to the backyard where we dove deeper into life, fatherhood, and religion.

Ask me one year ago about my Uncle Ed, and I would have said he seems to be one of the most positive people I know—the word ‘jolly’ comes to mind. I also would have said he’s easy to chat with, loves football, and could talk about sports all day. 

After two late mornings in his living room sipping coffee and chewing tobacco, almost an entire Sunday just the two of us, shared guacamole and chips at a local Mexican restaurant, and another Sunday afternoon on his deck with Aunt Colleen, I would now (still) say that he’s one of the most positive people I know, is ridiculously easy to chat with, could talk sports or politics all day, AND he has a great outlook on life. 

He’s always come across as carefree and jolly because that’s who he is. He knows what’s important in life, loves people, has a great family, and is cruising into the next chapter of life on his 1982 Honda Urban Express moped, a smile on his face and chew in his lip.