Edawaparambil Raman Narayanan

Edawaparambil “Ed” Narayanan, 86, of Arlington, passed away on Friday, January 12, 2024 after a long illness. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 3, 2024 at Murphy Funeral Home in Arlington.

Ed was born in Kerala, India in 1937 and had three sisters. At the age of approximately 10, Ed became the sole breadwinner of his family and knew he had to venture away from his home to make a better living for his family. He first traveled over 1,000 km to Mumbai, India. There, he saw a woman being abused on the street, got scared, and hid on a nearby boat. That boat set sail shortly afterwards, with Ed on board. Eventually, that boat docked in South Africa. There, Ed met and made friends with other Indians, who told him about potential job opportunities in London, England. So, Ed decided to make the journey to London. Since he was able to successfully stow away on a ship previously (though unintentionally), he consciously stowed away on a different ship destined for the U.K. During the voyage, Ed was discovered by the captain of the ship. Instead of punishing Ed, the captain took a liking to him and offered him a job upon landing in London.

After living and working in London, Ed and his friends learned of opportunities available in Canada and the United States. So, in the 1950’s, Ed ventured to Canada, where he worked in Toronto and Montreal. One weekend, Ed and his friends took a trip to New York that changed his life forever. Ed immediately fell in love with New York and decided to stay. There, Ed discovered his love for cooking while working in a restaurant tending bar. In typical Ed fashion, he made many many friends, some of whom he remained in touch with for decades.

After living in New York for several years, Ed decided he wanted to see what the rest of the United States had to offer. He decided to travel south, but after encountering racism and bigotry, he decided the southern U.S. was not for him. So, he traveled north again and landed in Washington, D.C. There, he made many new friends and also met the love of his life - Martina. In Washington, D.C. he also cultivated his love of cooking and, with the help of Martina and two of his friends, opened his first restaurant - Sri Krishna. A few short years later, after the building housing the Sri Krishna restaurant was sold, Ed decided to open a restaurant of his own. Fiona’s - named after his first-born daughter - was located in the same building as the World Bank and the National Science Foundation. That restaurant was a rousing success for over a decade.

In the succeeding years, Ed owned and operated several well-known restaurants and worked at Watergate South for over 22 years, but his true accomplishment was the hundreds of friends he made along the way. Ed loved people and welcomed friends, family members and acquaintances into his home almost every weekend. Throughout all of his adventures, Ed continued to send money to support his mother and sisters in India. He was even able to bring his youngest sister to the U.S. in 1971. His passion for food and his family fueled him throughout his life, including into retirement. Until his passing, Ed thrived on providing for his family and friends - especially through his food.

Ed was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, father-in-law, and friend. He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years (Martina), his two devoted daughters (Fiona and Maya), two granddaughters (Malina and Asha), sisters (Debbie and Chandra), sons-in-law (Shane and Sean), adoring puppy dog, and many, many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister.