Edward Carels

Born on July 10th, 1943, in Camden New Jersey, Edward (Ed) was the son of Catherine and Edward Carels. Ed attended St. Aloysius Elementary School alongside his beloved siblings, Kathleen, Patricia, and Maryanne. Ed went on to graduate from Camden Catholic High School, earned his undergrad degree at Rutgers University and later received his masters degree from Villanova University.

Ed was married to the love of his life, Patricia Carels, for nearly 55 wonderful years. Early in their marriage, they moved from New Jersey to Chicago, where Ed attended Loyola University and ultimately earned his PhD. In search of warmer weather, they moved west to Leucadia, California before settling down in Newport Beach, where they built their lifelong home together and raised their two daughters, Devon and Ashlee.

Some years later, Ed and Pat selflessly welcomed their nephew Austin into their family. Devon, Ashlee, and Austin each went on to start families of their own with their spouses, Eric, Orian, and Jill. Ed and Pat’s lives were further enriched by their five beautiful grandchildren: Marlowe, Liam, Mila, Rowan, and Levi.

Ed’s mother taught him from a young age to “make the world a better place,” a mission he pursued throughout his life. He dedicated his career to the healthcare industry, helping those affected by addiction and other illnesses.

Ed enjoyed spending as much time as he could down “the shore” in Strathmere, New Jersey, in addition to family reunions at the Wildwood house. He was committed to living each day to the fullest and rarely passed up the opportunity to play a game of basketball, a round of golf, or ride his bike to the beach. He loved the outdoors, sailing, fishing, and traveling around the world in pursuit of adventure.

Ed was truly one of a kind with a great sense of humor and quick wit. He never missed the chance to plot the perfect prank and committed himself fully to the task. He loved to make people laugh and understood that laughter is medicine. His ability to find humor and light in even the toughest of times is something that will surely be missed.

He is survived by his wife, children, beloved grandchildren, and sisters, Kathleen and Maryanne. Ed will be missed dearly by those who knew him and his legacy will live on through his legendary stories and cherished memories.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association (https://www.alz.org/) or Alzheimer’s Orange County (https://www.alzoc.org/get-involved/donate/).