Edward J. Daly

Edward Joseph Daly, 84, died October 21, 2019 at home with his family at his side. He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Elizabeth, his five children and their spouses, Kathleen and Gregory Weiss of White Rock, New Mexico, Michael and Jennifer Daly of Milton, Massachusetts, Sheila and Clyde Walsh of Brookline, New Hampshire, Joan and Tom Stone of Naperville, Illinois, and Stephen and Maureen Daly of North Andover, Massachusetts. He also leaves 15 grandchildren: Jaydon, Isabel, Brandon, Ben, Adelaide, Kenitra, Edward, Connor, Kateri, Luke, Cullen, Delia, Megan, Justin, and Erin who were all the light of his life. Ed was predeceased by his brother, Frances, and sister, Joan.

Ed was born and raised in Somerville, attended Christopher Columbus High School, and received a Bachelor and a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University. Upon graduation, he received a direct commission as an officer in the United States Air Force and was assigned to the 102 Fighter Interceptor Wing of the National Guard. In 1959, Ed married his sweetheart, Elizabeth Ballas, from Allston, Massachusetts.

Ed spent his career in the defense business while raising a family. He was a missile guidance design engineer on a variety of ballistic and tactical US Air Force, Army, and Navy missiles including the Minuteman, Patriot, and Sparrow - for which he shares a unique Seeker System Patent. He was the design Laboratory Manager at Raytheon for the development and flight testing program at White Sands Missile Range, which ultimately released the Patriot Missile into full scale production. In 1987 Ed was appointed to lead the Raytheon Saudi Arabian Triad Project in Saudi Arabia that involved the deployment of a US Air Defense System to protect their borders and capital city. During the Gulf War, Ed was Raytheon’s Senior Representative in-country as the Patriot became critical for defense. Following the Gulf War, he played a key role in-country after the Royal Saudi Air Defense Force purchased the Patriot System.

Ed was also professionally active and elected Chairman of the Boston Chapter of the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers on Antennas and Propagation. He served as an expert witness to the National Academy of Sciences on Nuclear Weapons Blast Effects on Phased Array Radar Performance.

Ed and his wife raised their family in Sudbury, Massachusetts, before moving to Saudi Arabia for 10 years. Both avid scuba divers and underwater photographers, they collected numerous videos and photos along the Red Sea Coast from Jordan to Yemen.

Upon retiring, they took several 6-month camping trips around Australia and diving trips to Malaysia, Egypt, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In the later years, Ed and Elizabeth spent winters in Boqueron, Puerto Rico where Ed became proficient in Spanish and developed deep friendships.

Ed was active on committees in Orleans, a town he cared deeply about. He chaired the Orleans Town Hall Committee and served as President of the Orleans Citizen’s Forum. Ed was a member of the Wastewater Citizen’s Peer Review Committee, the Orleans Water Quality Advisory Panel, and the Men’s Club at St. Joan of Arc Church. He was elected Orleans Citizen of the year Award in 2016.

In the truest sense, Ed was an outdoorsman. He swam endless laps to the Orleans Yacht Club and back into his 80s and had a nightly appreciation for the sunset over Town Cove. His favorite summertime activities were growing vegetables and dahlias, embarking on various projects in his red truck, biking, gathering oysters, and tuna fishing with his family. He loved spending time with his grandchildren, oftentimes dispensing advice about their studies, interests, or careers.

A Celebration of Life Mass will be held on Friday, November 8, 2019 at 10:00 AM at St. Joan of Arc Church, 61 Canal Road, Orleans, MA 02653. In lieu of flowers the family request donations to the Missionaries of Charity, Central House, 335 East 145th Street, Bronx, NY, 10451. They also extend special thanks to all who cared for Ed and touched his life. For online condolences, please visit www.nickersonfunerals.com.