Edward P Poltrack

Edward P. Poltrack, 88, a lifelong resident of Stamford, died peacefully, surrounded by his loving daughters, on January 27, 2011, in New Bern, NC. Edward was the youngest child of Emilia and Anthony Poltrack. He was predeceased by his siblings, Adeline, Lillian Janis, Helene Romako, Mary, Henry, Anthony and Francis (who died in battle in Peleliu in WWII), and his wife of 49 years, Marjorie Thorpe Poltrack. Ed served in WWII, as a Captain in the Army Air Corps, flying B-25 Bombers in over 60 missions across the South Pacific. He wrote to his high school sweetheart, Marjorie, nearly every day and married her upon his return from the war. He earned a degree in Electrical Engineering from Yale in 1949 and worked as an engineer at Barnes Engineering and Norden. At Pitney-Bowes, he was involved in the infrared horizon stabilization program for the Mercury Space Capsule and was instrumental in instituting a change from an oil-based procedure to a more environmentally friendly steam-based process. In a brief departure from the engineering world, he and Marj ran a Chicken Delight store in Glenbrook. A lifetime devotee of the arts, Ed acted, directed and was a photographer for the North Country Players and Sterling Barn. This led to his role as the lead detective in Del Tenney's horror classic film, "The Horror of Party Beach," filmed in Stamford. He played the trumpet, guitar, harmonica and sang, was a lover of words, crossword puzzles, golf and horses, and tended to his natural menagerie in his backyard, keeping his birds (and squirrels) well stocked with suet and seed. Ed is survived by his daughters, Barbara Dworak of New Bern, NC, Carolyn Ferguson of Cambridge, MA, and Beverly Wilkerson of Sherman Oaks, CA; his granddaughters, Sarah and Katherine Dworak, and Meredith Wilkerson, and his stepgrandson, Jamie Ferguson. Family and friends may call at the Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home, 2900 Summer St., Stamford, CT, on Sunday, February 6, 2011, from 1-4pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Holy Name of Jesus Church, 4 Pulaski St., Monday, February 7, 2011 at 10am, followed by interment at Queen of Peace Cemetery.