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Edward Lonergan

Edward Augustine “Ed” Lonergan, of Old Saybrook, passed away peacefully on Dec. 29, 2023, after a short hospital stay and a long battle with Parkinson’s, which, like most things, he was too stubborn to allow to disrupt his life unduly. He is predeceased by his sister, Marilyn Fowler. He was born on St. Patrick’s Day in 1935 to Edward J. and Lillian Lonergan of Hartford. He was a survivor of the Great Hartford Circus Fire of 1944. God clearly had plans for young Edward.

The Lonergan’s spent summers at the beach in Knollwood, Old Saybrook, where he met his future wife, the former Nancy Dunn, and married in 1958. Ed graduated from Williston Northampton Academy and pursued an engineering degree at Union College in Schenectady, New York. He would tell you with a chuckle he had “struggled to live up to his potential” in his younger years and was forever grateful for the education he received at Union College. He remained a generous supporter of Union his entire lifetime, culminating with the “Edward A. Lonergan Scholarship for Students of Promise,” but not necessarily the best incoming GPA score. He was recruited to the General Dynamics Electric Boat Division upon graduation and served nearly 50 years across a long and successful career there. He loved submarines and EB. He was extremely proud of his work and thankful for the friendships he built over those years.

He and Nancy settled in Old Saybrook, where they raised their two children, Edward F. (Laura) and Tammy Lonergan, and embedded in the community. Ed was a long-time Cub Scout Master and Parks and Recreation t-ball coach. He was particularly fond of crafting speedy Pinewood Derby cars in his home workshop. In his later years, he devoted his attention to St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Essex, where he volunteered for many years. Ed and Nancy were avid boaters and enjoyed the communities they came to know at Terra Mar and Ferry Point Marinas in Old Saybrook and Townsend Manor in Greenport, New York. When not found there, they could be seen cruising to Dairy Queen in one of a series of Corvettes owned over the last 40 years, all of which bore the name “Creampuff.” He purchased his last new Corvette in 2023, likely cementing his fame as “the oldest man to ever purchase one of these things.” They loved their Fenwood neighborhood, moving multiple times within a few blocks over the years, primarily to provide Ed with more projects to do around the house and yard. Sitting, even in his later years, was simply not a part of his DNA. His workshop, various cars and boats, home projects, and especially his rose and vegetable gardens absorbed his free time. He much enjoyed sitting on the front porch with the view across Long Island Sound and chatting with various friends who stopped by — it was his sole pause in activity most days, except for UConn basketball, the Red Sox, music at the Kate, or a good Western movie. He was most grateful for the many wonderful people he came to know in Old Saybrook and the friendships he and Nancy built there over more than 70 years.

Ed found the silver lining in most things in life, including the total loss of his home in the “Great Old Saybrook Explosion and Fire of 2023.” He and his aptly named cat, Lucky, survived and recovered thanks to the luck of the Irish, the help of first responders, friends, and the community. Clearly, God was still not done with him, as we were given the gift of six more months of wry wit and poignant moments with his wife, Nancy, extended family, and friends. He was also quite sure Haagen Dazs appreciated the six-month reprieve on the loss of their best customer. Ed ascribed his long life to the love of family and friends, hard work, ice cream, jellybeans, and Wint-O-Green Lifesavers.

In addition to his wife of 65 years and his children, he is survived by his granddaughters, Taryn, Cara, Viktorija, and Taylor, as well as his great-grandsons, Maxwell, Theodore, and Bennett.

Calling hours were on Jan. 5 at the Swan Funeral Home, 1224 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook. A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated on Jan. 6 at St. Teresa of Calcutta, 14 Prospect Street, Essex, followed by a burial at Cyprus Cemetery, College Street, Old Saybrook. In lieu of flowers, Ed would appreciate donations be made to St. Teresa of Calcutta Church in Essex.