A. Edward Couch III

COUCH, A. EDWARD III A. Edward Couch III, 83, of Topsham, Maine, passed away on January 19, 2013. Born in Eagle Mills, New York, he lived in Brooklyn, New York and Deep River, Connecticut, as a boy. It was in Deep River that he revealed his academic prowess and baseball skills, both of which earned him a scholarship to The Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut. During his teens and young adulthood, he seriously considered a career in baseball. A skilled third baseman, he had tryouts with the New York Yankees and the White Sox. He received a personal letter of encouragement from Branch Rickey, baseball's visionary executive and the manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Ed's favorite team. This letter now resides in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Although Ed ultimately decided to accept a full scholarship to Yale instead of playing professional baseball, he never lost his love for "America's Pastime" and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ed earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University. He then obtained a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Divinity from Oberlin College and a Doctor of Ministry from Vanderbilt Divinity School. Ed served as a Presbyterian minister in churches in Ohio, New York and California. He also served as a UCC minister in Middlebury, Connecticut and was an interim minister in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio. Each time he finished an interim position, he left behind a toy "silver bullet" to compare his role with that of his favorite childhood hero, The Lone Ranger. Although he maintained his connection with the church, he spent an equal number of years working in education. He held administrative positions at Oberlin College, Culver Academy, Simpson College, and Yale Divinity School. In 1984, he achieved a lifelong goal when he became President of Yankton College in Yankton, South Dakota. Known fondly as "Davink " to his family, Ed spent his final years enjoying baseball games and discussing politics. A longtime fan of Mark Twain, Ed also loved telling tall tales, seeing how far he could pull someone's leg before that person caught on. He will be greatly missed by his loving wife of 60 years, Marguerite Penner Couch, and daughters Pamela, Jennifer, Heather, and Gwendolyn, as well as five grandchildren and three sons-in-law. A memorial service will be held at a future date. Condolences and memories can be shared with the family at www.brackettfuneralhome.com. Donations in Ed's memory may be made to The Community Foundation of Middlesex County (Couch Family Fund), 211 South Main Street, Middletown, CT, 06457 or Chans Hospice, 60 Baribeau Drive, Brunswick, ME 04011.