Edward "Eddie" Egnuss

Edward Marvin “Eddie” Egnuss passed away on May 28, 2024, at the age of 90, surrounded by his beloved wife of 65 years, Vera, and their three daughters. Never one to sit still for long, Eddie led an extraordinarily active life full of varied skills and hobbies: piloting small planes, fishing on Long Island Sound, skiing, traveling abroad, and practicing creative endeavors from baking to gardening to woodworking. Only his long struggle with Parkinson’s Disease could limit him.

Born in New York on January 19, 1934 into a family with three elder sisters (Pearl, Shirley, & Gladys of blessed memory), his mother Esther died shortly after Eddie’s birth. Before dying, Esther implored her adored sister-in-law, Rose Eisenstein, to help raise Eddie and she agreed. He called Rose “Mom,” and also counted her four children as true siblings (Sam, Yetta, Dorothy, & Trudy of blessed memory). While this created a consistent need to answer the question, “Wait, how are we related again?” for children and grandchildren, it meant he (and they) benefitted from twice the love of his “double family” and especially from the guidance of seven wonderful female role models and caregivers. In addition to this large family, he became an integral and active part of his wife’s extended family in Italy, Argentina and Israel.

You could take this boy out of the Bronx, but would never take the Bronx out of his rich family experience. A proud graduate of City College of New York, he worked as an Electrical Engineer and eventually co-founded a company called ORMEC. Eddie thrived on solving manufacturing problems for his customers - many of whom became friends.

In fact, Eddie had a special gift for turning strangers into friends, as he managed to find something - no matter how small - in common with just about anyone, from anywhere, and at any station in life. While not very religious, this quote from the prophet Micah was always his favorite and the lessons herein were a guide he strongly admired, “...To do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.” He taught his children to have the curiosity to learn something from every person they met, and use all tools possible to fix any problem or help anyone in need (human or animal).

Eddie is survived by his wife Vera, and his daughters and their families: Audrey & Ira Nadel, their sons Benjamin (& wife Sydney) & Jonathan (& wife Shkendie); Leslie Silverman, her children Robert, Gabriella & Julia and her beloved Michael Arpin; and Tanya & Brian Morris and their children Evan & Sonia. He will be sorely missed by his very large extended family of nieces, nephews, and cousins who are already missing his many siblings, now also of blessed memory.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, May 30th at 12:00 pm at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 100 Saw Mill River Rd, Hawthorne, NY 10532. Internment immediately following at Sharon Gardens Cemetery, 273 Lakeview Ave, Valhalla, NY 10595.

Contributions in Eddie’s memory can be made to The Parkinson’s Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, or any charity honoring his commitment to the Jewish principle of “Tikkun Olam” - healing the world.

May he rest in peace, zichrono livracha.