EDWIN JENNINGS III

Edwin Charles Jennings III State Farm retiree, Marine Corps veteran, dedicated member and former commander of American Legion Post 279 Edwin Charles Jennings III of Lincoln Park, N.J., died Sunday, Oct, 11, 2015. Visitation is at Keri Memorial Funeral Home, 125 Main Street, Lincoln Park, today, Oct. 15, 2015, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Services with military honors are Friday, Oct. 16, 2015, at 11 a.m. A resident of Lincoln Park since 1969, Mr. Jennings served as a member of the Planning Board of the borough of Lincoln Park in the 1980s. Ed was born in Paterson, N.J., on Feb. 25, 1940, to the late Dora Christina (nee Wagenheim) and the late Edwin C. Jennings Jr. The family moved to Prospect Park, N.J., when he was five. Ed was a proud graduate of Hawthorne High School, Class of 1958 (and he still enjoyed getting together with his fellow Bears for their monthly class dinners). Ed attended Duke University to play football and majored in biology, yet left after his first year to enter the service. Ed truly loved his country. He was a proud United States Marine from 1959 to 1965, serving with then Secretary of State Dean Rusk, and as an Embassy Guard in Poland and Germany. He was an active life member of the American Legion Post 279, and served as post commander from 1997 to 2000. Ed could often be found at the Legion Hall assisting with their various programs and events, or sharing a joke, enjoying a vodka martini, selling Christmas trees, or dancing the twist. Known for his deep, booming voice, Ed was a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees, the New York (Football) Giants, and the Duke Blue Devils. Until his health deteriorated, he also loved to play ball, playing softball with the Over the Hill Gang and the New Jersey Senior Softball League. In addition, Ed loved convincing others to love sports, from coaching his children's baseball and softball teams to coaching a generation of L.P. Raiders football players. Ed worked for State Farm Mutual Insurance Company for 43 years, primarily in the high risk auto division at the Northeast Regional Office (Wayne, N.J., then Parsippany, N.J). He remained an active member of the State Farm Retirees Association. Predeceased by his loving wife in 1994, Pauline Theresa (nee Jacobovics), whom he married in April 1967, Ed is survived by his beloved children, son, Andrew (Drew) Jennings and his wife, Jessica, of Dowingtown, Pa., and his daughter, Dr. Karlene Noel Jennings of Williamsburg, Va.; his sister, Faith and her husband, Thomas (Tom) Baird, of Palm Harbor, Fla., and their daughters, Amy, Lisa, and Pamela and their families; sister-in-law, Kathryn and her husband, Daniel (Danny) Petrow, of Lincoln Park, and their daughter, Deanna and her family - and their son, Daniel - his dear friend, fellow Yankees fan, and only nephew; and numerous cousins, including Joseph (Joe) DeLuccia and his wife, Marilyn, of North Haledon, N.J., and their children. To honor Ed's memory and in lieu of flowers, contributions to the Wounded Warrior Project, National Museum of the Marine Corps/Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, Toys for Tots, the American Legion Post 279 Scholarship Fund, or another charity of your choice would be appreciated. Semper Fidelis.