Deceased February 19, 2021
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In Memory
Ed Posner, who died Feb. 19 after his extended battle with ALS, was quietly a hero of mine. He rarely called attention to himself, but if you spent any extended time with him, his singular presence clearly emerged. He was a master of the pithy, penetrating or provocative comment. In that regard, he might have even been called an agitator. His wife laughingly recalls his habit on longer drives of ignoring all the liberal broadcasts—those closest to his own politics—to find the Rush Limbaugh types so he could rail at and eviscerate their bombast.
Shortsightedly, at Amherst, I initially believed Ed was uninterested or shunned athletics until I discovered his incredible commitment and dedication to crew. He was part of the small contingent, six of our class, from the greater Philadelphia area. Despite his substantial infirmities from ALS, when John Amsterdam ’68 was memorialized in June of 2019, Ed and his wife, Mary, couldn’t have been more gracious and generous to my wife and me on our very brief return for the service. Ed Lynn ’68, Peter Nutting ’68 and I are left to carry that Philly torch.
In addition to Ed’s compelling dedication to good works, he was also an extraordinarily talented lawyer. That perception was confirmed on his last visit to Los Angeles, where he had multiple interviews and depositions on his last large matter scheduled. Unbeknownst to me, his disease had reached the point where, during that trip, he was compelled to withdraw from the case. Instead we spent the time on three wonderful catch-up meetings on our lives post-Amherst.
Ed adored his wife; his daughters, Katharine and Cynthia; his grandchildren; and his dogs. He will be sorely missed.
Bill Hastie ’68