Edward Joseph Biddle

He grew up in Wernersville, Pennsylvania and later attended St. Thomas More Catholic High School and La Salle University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He served in the Army Reserves for seven years during the Vietnam War.

Ed enjoyed a remarkable career with the Department of Defense (DOD) where he began his career at DLA Energy in 1962 at the Defense Industrial Supply Center in Pennsylvania as a hardware procurement trainee. Three years later, he went to the Defense Personnel Support Center before coming to DLA after receiving another promotion. Biddle continued to work for DLA until he retired in 1998.

Biddle was a two-time inductee into the DLA Energy Hall of Fame in December 2003 and again in May 2016 in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contributions 1963-1998. He was a respected leader in the fields of acquisition and petroleum logistics within the Department of Defense and the petroleum industry. He was known as a man of unquestioned integrity whose dedication to excellence was demonstrated in the many initiatives; he implemented that continue to have impact on the fuels and logistics communities to this day.

Always in the forefront in developing improvements, innovations, and initiatives to provide a better process at reduced costs; he played a major role implementing the supply assurance program of exchanging Naval Petroleum Reserve of crude oil for military products. Biddle was the original founder of the marketing office and set up Energy’s first price escalation process during the 1973 oil crisis. This led to Navy Rear Adm. William Oller placing him as the chief of the newly developed market research office where he stayed for eight years.

In addition to these efforts, Biddle presented the DOD fuel position at a North Atlantic Treaty Organization Conference. His presentation caused member states to review their petroleum support capabilities to assist host nation support during contingency operations.

Biddle worked countless hours to develop the acquisition workforce under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act and was instrumental in hiring women and minorities. Under his direction, several women competed for and were selected for senior-level positions.

Biddle’s accomplishments during his 36 years established the highest standards in cost consciousness, professional responsibility, and personal accountability.

Throughout his life, Ed was sustained by his faith and his love of his wife and best friend Mary (Gallagher) who survives him. They had daughters Jacqueline (husband Jan) and Sharon (husband Chris) and grandchildren Alex, Noah, Matthew, Jack and Nicholas. He was a long-standing parishioner of St. Charles Catholic Church in Arlington, where he served as a member of the Catholic Charities Diocese of Arlington Prison Ministry. He was a lifelong avid gardener who loved spending summers in his youth farming in Buck’s County Pennsylvania.

A Visitation will be Friday, August 19th, 5 to 8 p.m. at Murphy Funeral Home, 1102 W. Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046.

Mass will occur at Saint James Catholic Church, 905 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046, on Saturday, August 20th at 11:00 a.m.

A private burial will take place at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.