Ed O’Donnell, 88 of Walden Place, Cortland passed away peacefully at Hospicare of Tompkins County on September 30, 2020.
Ed was born and raised in Truxton, NY to John and Margaret (O’Brien) O’Donnell on March 11, 1932 the 5th of 6 children. He was predeceased by his sisters Mary, Helena, Frances and Catherine and is survived by his younger brother Leo.
Ed graduated from Truxton High School. At 19 years old, he married Phyllis Jenney, from East Homer, on September 15, 1951. They first settled in Dryden, NY, before moving to McGraw 1960 where they lived with their 7 sons.
Ed was a Scoutmaster for 30 years, joining the Boy Scouts as a leader in 1961, and was awarded many accolades including the Silver Beaver award. His sons, along with many generations of boys, traveled all over the country with “Mr. Ed” to learn and camp.
Ed worked as a salesman for 40 years, working for GLF and then Agway until his retirement in 1992. Ed was a member of various Catholic churches throughout his life, and served his community as a councilman for the Town of Cortlandville for 20 years. He also served on a multitude of committees in Cortlandville and McGraw over the years for his church and community.
Ed lost his beloved wife of 40 years, Phyllis, in 1991, and recently his wife of 15 years, Eileen Williams O’Donnell, in 2019. He was also predeceased by two of his sons, Nick in 2018 and Patrick in 2013.
Ed is survived by his sons Christopher, Terry (Mary), Aaron (Kathy), Kelly, and Brian (Amber). He also enjoyed the successes of his grandchildren Sean, Eric, Padraic, Ryan, Megan, Adam, Griffen and Riley.
The family will be present to receive friends for calling hours from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2020 at the Donald L. Barber Funeral Home, 5016 US Route 11, Homer, NY.
A Catholic Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 16, 2020 at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, 59 N. Main St., Cortland. Prayers of committal will follow in McGraw Rural Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Ed’s name be sent to Hospicare & Palliative Care Services, 172 E. King Rd., Ithaca, NY.
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