Ed died Feb. 8, 2015, at Oak Leaf Manor in Millersville, Pa., after a long illness. He was 90.
After graduating from the Lawrenceville School, Ed entered Princeton under the Navy V-12 program in the fall of 1949. His college career was interrupted by 18 months in the Pacific, where he served as a radarman in a ground control unit. He returned to Princeton at the conclusion of his service and graduated in June 1949 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering. After graduation, he worked for the John J. Nesbitt Co. Inc. in Philadelphia and the Thatcher Furnace Co. in Garwood, N.J.
In 1962, Ed passed the professional engineer examination and began his own business, Purdy Engineers, in Lancaster, Pa., designing heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, plumbing, and electrical systems. Notable projects included the Milton Hershey School, Claridge Hotel and Casino, and the Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla.
Ed was a member of the Rotary Club of Lancaster and was a loyal member of the Tucquan Club, one of the oldest social organizations of Lancastrians. He enjoyed skiing, playing golf, sailing on Chesapeake Bay, flying his private four-seater airplane, and restoring Chris-Craft wooden boats.
He is survived by his daughter, Judith, and three grandchildren.