EDWARD CONDON

1921 - 2013

Edward Condon died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, November 2, 2013. How fitting that a man whose faith ran deep died on All Souls Day. Born on October 3, 1921 in Chicago to Bill and Kitty (nee Shanley) Condon. The youngest of ten children, Ed lived a long and wonderfully full life. He spent almost 70 years with the love of his life, Nancy, who preceded him in death just over a year ago. They married shortly after Ed's return from the Pacific in World War II, where as a young lieutenant in the Navy, he initially commanded an LCT and later an attack cargo ship, the USS Vanadis. Ed was a proud graduate of Fenwick High School and St. Ambrose College in Davenport, IA, where he majored in English literature, played varsity basketball and contemplated entering the seminary...until he met Nancy. His career as a successful marketing executive took him and his growing family to Esquire Magazine in New York, Bankers Life and Casualty and Playboy Enterprises in Chicago. Ed was a poet-athlete. Throughout his lifetime, he wrote poetry to Nancy, his children and grandchildren, and he played, and played well, just about every sport invented and taught all of them to his children. At one time, he was a city diving champion in Chicago and then handball and ping pong champion. Well into his eighties, he played golf, ping pong and swam, challenging his kids and grandkids, usually winning (much to his delight). He was an astute card player of bridge, gin and poker. He had an appreciation for good red wine and loved music - Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney - and had a wonderful Irish tenor voice. Ed with his wife Nancy were founding parishioners at Our Lady of the Wayside Church where they attended for almost 60 years. Ed was a member of the first Choir at Wayside as well as the initial Holy Name Society and Wayside Golf League. Ed was an early Trustee of the Arlington Heights Park District at a pivotal time in the District's history and was instrumental in expanding the park system from the initial two parks to the national award winning multi park system we have today. This included convincing the U.S. Department of Defense to donate part of the old Nike base property along Central Road which the Park District then converted into the Arlington Lakes Golf Course. Even as his memory faded with the tragedy of Alzheimer's, he remembered and sang. At the end, Ed may well have felt justified to echo the words of St. Timothy, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Ed is survived by his seven children, Mark (Barbara) Condon, Sheila Condon (Kathy Lazear) Pires, Ed (Bridgid Roark) Condon, Nancy Condon Sack, Jean (Nancy Kenney) Condon, Cathleen Condon (Dan) Harro, and Michael (Mary) Condon; his 20 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, his sister-in-law Marian Frugo and brother-in-law, Tim Toomey, countless nieces, nephews and cousins, and many longtime friends. Visitation will be from 3 to 9 pm, Thursday, November 7, at Glueckert Funeral Home, Ltd., 1520 N. Arlington Heights Road (four blocks south of Palatine Road), Arlington Heights. Prayers will be said 10:15 am Friday, November 8, at the funeral home, proceeding to Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Church, 440 S. Mitchell, Arlington Heights for Mass at 11:00 am. Entombment is in St. Michael the Archangel Cemetery in Palatine. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Misericordia Heart of Mercy. For information and condolences, www.GlueckertFH.com or 847-253-0168.