A longtime resident of the Conroe area, Ed was born in Alexandria, Louisiana, in 1942 to the late James and Inez O’Quinn. After enlisting in the United States Army in 1962, he proudly served for over seven years, including a tour in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot in the 101st Airborne Division, where he was awarded numerous service awards including the Air Medal, Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. Following his military service, Ed continued to devote much of his adult life to aviation. He often joked that he was licensed to fly nearly everything that could leave the ground, with the sole exception of a hot air balloon.
On May 10, 1968, Ed married the love of his life, Robyn O’Quinn, after meeting in Ft. Rucker, Alabama. Over the next 55 years they shared a life filled with adventure, raising their two sons, Kevin and Kenneth, and living in California, Hawaii, and Colorado, before finally settling down in Texas.
Ed enjoyed a distinguished 34-year career as a commercial airline pilot with Continental Airlines, finishing his career as a captain on the Boeing 777 airliner. In retirement, he and Robyn enjoyed caring for their many animals and their ranch, spending time with their four grandsons, and continuing to pursue Ed’s passion for aviation. One of Ed’s proudest accomplishments was building his own high-performance airplane, a Van’s Aircraft RV-7 which he named “High Horse” and flew across most of North America – visiting friends and family all along the way.
Ed is survived by his two sons, Kevin O’Quinn (Kristen) of Keller, Texas, and Kenneth O’Quinn (Kimberley) of Houston, Texas; his four grandsons, Keller O’Quinn, Sam O’Quinn, Seth O’Quinn, and Scott O’Quinn; his brother, David O’Quinn (Theresa) of Austin, Texas; his sister, Frances Robichaux of Metairie, Louisiana; his sisters-in-law, Rosanne (David) Minson of Littleton, Colorado, and Jennifer Jones of Ottawa, Ontario; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Robyn O’Quinn; his parents, James and Inez O’Quinn; his brothers, Frank O’Quinn and James “Jimmy” O’Quinn; and his sister Margaret Sheldon.
A Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, at Metcalf Funeral Home in Conroe, Texas. Interment with Military Honors will follow at a later date at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.
