Edward Martin Rohan

We celebrate the remarkable life of Edward M. Rohan, who passed away on October 29, 2021 at the age of 82. Ed was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Cecilia and Patrick Rohan and is the fourth of five children.

He lived a remarkable life which was evidenced in countless ways. He was an avid exerciser and sport enthusiast, from his days as a fullback at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, NY, to his days as a track star at Iona College (Iona) located in the New Rochelle, NY, to the many running road races he participated in over the years.

Ed had a passion for life and nature. An avid outdoorsman and bicyclist, he made numerous camping and bike trips throughout upper state New York, Vermont, Michigan, Massachusetts, and rural Indiana with his family. Those experiences instilled a love for nature among those close to him that continues to this day.

Ed tended a beautiful, burgeoning garden that was another passion for him. He also knew that preservation of nature was everyone’s right and responsibility. During his time as President of the North Willow Farms Neighborhood Board, he took courses on tree species and ecosystems so he could lead local efforts to turn a cornfield slated to become a congested commercial/ residential development into the Daubenspeck Community Nature Park that is there for all to enjoy today.

He was also a great lover of the arts. His passion for classical music began as a child listening to radio broadcasts of “Texaco’s Live from the Met” in New York City. He also enjoyed fine arts and volunteered as a docent and guide at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (i.e., Newfields) for several years. Ed also served as a long-term usher through the Ministry of Hospitality and as a fourth degree Knights of Columbus member at St. Luke’s Catholic Church.

Throughout his life Ed always enjoyed being a problem solver. This was characterized by his 30+ years with Leeds Northrup and then Honeywell as a Sales Director/Engineer. With a physics degree from Iona and a penchant for engineering, he loved talking through problems with clients and finding solutions that worked for a wide array of process engineering systems and design issues.

But beyond all these things, most importantly Ed was a devoted husband, father, and family man. Somehow knowing he’d be drawn to a Scandinavian, he met his wife Barbara in 1964 in New York City, recently after her arrival from Sweden. They married in 1965 and had three children – Patrick, Christina, and Peter (Lisa) – who together have provided Ed and Barbara with 10 wonderful grandchildren (Kara, Andrew, Leigh, Meaghan [Theo], Catherine, Evan, Olivia, Elsie, Ashlie, and Jacob). Barbara, their children, and grandchildren, all survive Ed, and now live in the southern California and Carmel - Indianapolis, IN area.

After their marriage, he and Barbara moved quite a bit as their family grew, living along the eastern seaboard in Laurel Springs, Maryland, Richmond and Roanoke, Virginia, and Ballston Lake, New York, before settling in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1978. Over the years, Ed and Barbara traveled widely, seemingly always with fortune at their back. On a trip to the UK, his wallet was stolen on the London Underground, only to have a passerby quickly approach him to offer compensation on the spot! Later, upon arriving home, Ed received a phone call from a London citizen informing him that his wallet had been found intact and would be sent to him.

A man of many interests, a lover of knowledge, and a man who loved his family and enjoyed the company of a wide range of friends, Ed will be missed by many, and remembered fondly by all who knew him.

Visitation for Edward will be held Thursday, November 4, 2021 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Leppert Mortuaries – Nora, 740 East 86th St, Indianapolis, Indiana 46240. Mass of Christian Burial will occur Friday, November 5, 2021 at 11:30 AM at St. Luke Catholic Church, 7575 Holliday Drive East, Indianapolis, Indiana 46260. You can view the livestream at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC62ttpd3ao6fe5RR0SPmxnA.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.leppertmortuary.com for the Rohan family.