Ed arrived in Pawling in 1968 to join the staff at Trinity-Pawling School, and by 1983 had risen to Director of Physical Plant, overseeing daily operations, campus planning, capital construction and renovation, fire safety, and security. Over his 30-year tenure, he managed more than $120 million in construction, renovation, and restoration projects — leaving a lasting imprint on the campus that students and faculty enjoy to this day.

His commitment to Pawling has extended far beyond the T-P gates. A member of the Pawling Fire Department for more than 50 years, Ed has served as both Deputy Chief and Treasurer. In elected office, he served as a Town Board Member and later Supervisor of the Town of Pawling — a period that saw the former YMCA property transformed into the beloved Lakeside Park. He also represented Pawling, parts of Beekman, and East Fishkill as Dutchess County Legislator for four years, where he served on the Architect and Engineer Selection Committee, the Public Safety Committee, and as Vice-Chairman of the Environment Committee.

Ed has been equally active in Pawling’s civic and conservation efforts. He served on the Pawling Community Foundation Board where he helped envision the One Community One Park project. He also served on the Board of the Pawling Nature Reserve of the Nature Conservancy and as president of Pawling Rotary. At the county level, Ed served for eight years on the Dutchess County Planning Board where he participated in preserving over 6000 acres of farmland and open space through the Partnership for Manageable Growth.

Over the last ten years, Ed has assisted the Pawling Library with maintenance and construction projects, most recently the new children’s reading room addition. He also has an ongoing role with the Quaker Hill Burial Ground Association, where he oversees the day-to-day operations of both the Quaker Hill Cemetery on Church Road and the historic Quaker Cemetery near the Quaker Hill Country Club. Working from old hand-drawn maps, Ed has produced precise, archival-quality maps of both grounds. He now manages plot sales, schedules burials, and makes a point of being present at most burial services — a quiet act of respect that speaks to his character.

Before all of this, Ed grew up on Long Island near the Great South Bay, where the water was a constant presence. He built his first boat at age 13 and spent as much time on the water as he possibly could. Summers took him to a family friend’s dairy farm in Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania, where he learned the rhythms of farm life — bringing in the hay and milking the cows. He attended Trinity College in Hartford before earning his degree cum laude from Adelphi University.

Ed is married to Helen, a certified special education teacher and former trustee of the Pawling Free Library, who successfully championed the first voter-approved increase to the library’s budget. Their son Walter is the principal architect at a firm specializing in educational facilities, and together Ed and Helen have three grandchildren.

The Pawling Community Foundation is thrilled to have the opportunity to honor Ed at the October 10 Gala. 

Details on tickets and sponsorships coming soon! 

Updated May 27, 2026