Ed was a second father to me when I grew up as their next door neighbor in Danielson. His son Eddie was my first friend on earth and was, is, and always will be my best friend. Ed, or Mr. Ohop as I always called him, was a great friend to my Dad and our family. He always treated me with kindness and love, referring to me as "Dickie ", as everyone did in those wonderful days of childhood growing up in Danielson. Ed was the best fisherman I ever knew and always seemed to come home with the biggest trout of all the Dads in the neighborhood. His garden was always beautiful and his lawn on 19 Davis Avenue the greenest, due in part to his burning of the lawn in the fall, much to our delight as kids watching the fire. I will always have fond memories of Ed and my Dad coming to find Eddie and I when we were out on one of our latest adventures, or misadventures, such as the time we decided to walk to Dayville without letting our parents know. I can still hear his voice booming across the swamp yelling "Winka ! Winka ! " for Eddie to come home for dinner from where we were playing in our forts in the pine trees or by the trestle. As an adult, I admired how much in love he and his wife Irene had always been and how I wished that I could have followed their example. Ed and Irene seemed, to me, to show how life should be lived to its fullest. I think that I,and America, would be much better if we followed the values that they seemed to uphold. Although I hadn't seen Ed in a few years, I will miss him greatly. My thoughts and prayers and love go out to Irene, Eddie and your family and friends. I know that Heaven is a better place now that Ed Ohop is there.
