Edward Minister

Edward Boyd Minister Of Portland, Maine, died Wednesday, September 15, 2010 in his Munjoy Hill neighborhood. Ed was born in Pennsylvania on July 20, 1934 to Johnson Edward and Margaret (Pritchard) Minister, and grew up in both Ohio and Pennsylvania. He was active in the Boy Scouts of America, and spent his summers at a Boy Scout camp run by his father. He attended Ohio University and later obtained a doctorate from Columbia University, during which time he and his former wife, Kristina, adopted two children. Following graduate school, Ed taught sociology at Bowdoin College for several years before moving to San Francisco, where he had a varied career until retiring to Maine in 2003. He was a voracious reader, a gourmet cook and a lover of all things Italian. He traveled frequently, spending his winters in the Bay Area with dear friends and family, and also visiting his grandchildren in Arizona. He was an adoring grandfather, fondly called "Grumpa", who never turned down the opportunity to see a game or recital. Ed was predeceased by his brother and best friend, William "Bill" Minister of Chicago, who passed away in February of this year. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Matthew and Cyndie Conn Minister, of Flagstaff, AZ; his daughter and son-in-law, Margaret (Minister) and James O'Keefe of Cumberland; his grandchildren, Marissa, Marcus, Devlin and Edie; his longtime companion and close friend, Brenda Hughes, and her two children, Jason and Debora, their spouses, and Debora's four children, Sophia, Nate, Nolan, and Julia; his sister-in-law, Beverly Minister of Chicago; his four nephews and nieces, Scott, Mickey, Anne and Lucas, and their spouses, children and grandchildren. He will be missed by all. A Celebration of Life service will be held this Friday, September 24, from 4-5:30 at St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress Street, Portland, Maine. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his memory to: Maine Medical Center Memorial Program Annual Giving Program Development Department 22 Bramhall Street Portland, ME 04102