Deceased October 9, 2023

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In Memory

Ed, with his wife Dolores at his side, died peacefully in his sleep on October 9, 2023, in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Ed and Dolores enjoyed retirement life in Boothbay, having moved there from the Chicago area where both worked at Harris Bank and proudly raised son Peter ’88.  At Amherst, Ed was a math major that springboarded him into the computer side of business with U.S Steel and Burroughs-Welcome and, finally, Harris Bank as a technical officer. 

My friendship with Ed began freshmen year as he was down the hall in James. At first impression—serious, quiet, wry sense of humor, responsible, thoughtful, not about himself. Those traits, and I would add loyalty, became more evident through the years at Amherst (Theta Xi fraternity brothers and roommates) and beyond. Although geography limited get-togethers, we had “How you doing, what’s new” phone conversations two to three times a year.

An impression formed during orientation with our introduction to the physical education requirement for freshmen/sophomore years that embraced the ancient Greek principle of “mens sana in corpore sano” (a sound mind in a sound body), Ed was committed to this at Amherst and through his entire life. For example: he was a regular visitor to the “fitness center” in our time; he was on the crew team, one of our “Boys in the Boats”; he had a rowing machine in his Maine home and used it; Ed got his MBA at the University of Chicago in 1968; he was a devotee of senior online adult education courses. 

Indicative of his thoughtfulness and service to others, Ed served as Theta Xi’s vice president and a member of the Chest Drive at Amherst and was active community-wise throughout his life. I remember on a cold, snowy February night junior year, Ed drove me to a TB Sanitorium in Worcester, Mass., to visit a close high school friend. Genuinely “not about himself,” Ed donated his body to a medical school in Maine to be used for teaching and research.

Ed was a good man, a decent man, a wonderful friend! I will miss him as many others will!

Ted Kambour ’57