Edward Madden Bigler ’44

Body

Ed died Aug. 9, 2005, in Greenwich, Conn.

He and his wife of 43 years, Renee Holt Bigler, also had a home on John's Island, Vero Beach, Fla. A son of Paul Gray Bigler '17, Ed came to us from Taft School, where he was active in football and basketball. He played freshman football at Princeton and roomed at 17 Edwards Place with Ed Finegold and Bob VanWagoner.

Ed served in the Army Air Force as a navigator, flying 35 combat missions in World War II from Italy. Returning to the States, his was a surviving plane when nine of 15 from his squadron were lost in a storm off Nova Scotia. He had an extensive career in oil and gas exploration and, with his wife, founded a nonprofit organization, Pathways Inc., to provide housing for the mentally ill in Greenwich. Ed continued to have an avid interest in sports, especially tennis and golf.

Close friends included Dr. Clint Weiman '47 and Gerard Turino '48. Ed is survived by his wife; sons Edward M. Jr. and Paul Gray Bigler; three stepchildren, M. Barclay Brown III, George H. Brown, and Diane Justine Buck; and six grandchildren. Our condolences go to all.

The Class of 1944

No responses yet

Join the conversation

Plain text

Full name and Princeton affiliation (if applicable) are required for all published comments. For more information, view our commenting policy. Responses are limited to 500 words for online and 250 words for print consideration.

Paw in print

Image
The September 2026 cover of PAW, featuring the headline "Minds at Play" written in game pieces — crossword, Scrabble, and Rubics Cube.
The Latest Issue

September 2026

Princetonians who puzzle; inside ORFE’s rise; how 9/11 changed lives.