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Edmund Curtin Higgins of Guilford died Sept. 13 at home. He was 77 years old. He is survived by his beloved wife of 48 years, Helen, his children Andrew (Melissa) and Wendy, and two grandchildren, Amelia and Jacob.

For more than 50 years, Ed dedicated his life to high school education. He retired as principal of Branford High School in 2008 and as professor of educational leadership at Quinnipiac University School of Education in 2015.

Ed received a BA from Marietta College, an MA from Perdue University, and a PhD in international relations from the University of Southern California. He served as chairman of New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Public Secondary Schools and was elected one of the few public high school administrators to The Headmaster’s Association. A leader in changing standards for evaluating high schools to focus on student learning, for years he chaired high school accreditation committees across New England.

An outdoorsman, Ed hiked all 46 Adirondack High Peaks and for many years devoted his summers to run the hiking program at Camp Dudley, Westport, New York. Ed enjoyed tennis, kayaking, and taking walks in the woods with his dog Piper. He loved reading and enjoying his back yard with his family. He was a member of Wildlife Conservation Trust, Alstead, New Hampshire, and of Sachem’s Head Yacht Club in Guilford.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in his name to the Camp Dudley Leadership Program, 126 Dudley Rd., Westport, NY 12993, or Wildlife Conservation Trust, 466 S. Woods Rd., Alstead, NH, 03602.

Services will be private. Arrangements in the care of the Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church St., Guilford. To share a memory or leave condolences, visit www.guilfordfuneralhome.com.