Edmund S. Ganem

Edmund S. Ganem, 70, passed away suddenly in Atlantis, FL, his home of eight years. Born in Terryville he lived the majority of his life there. In addition to his devoted wife of 47 years, Mary "Dolly" Ganem, he is survived by a sister, Madeline Ganem of Winsted. He was the proud father of eight children and nine grandchildren: Ann Marie Ganem-Ugliarolo of Waterbury, her husband Robert and their children Tiffany and Nicholas; Mary Virginia Peabody of Harwinton, her husband Martin and their children Drake and Grant; Patricia Schauss of Terryville, her husband John and their children Sarah and Todd; Kathy Nicoletti of Bristol, and her husband Mark; Susan Ganem of Chicago, IL; Jill Cole of Franklin, IN and her husband John; Michael Ganem of Terryville, his wife Dawn and their daughter Emily; and Georgia Austin of New Hartford, her husband John and their sons Zachary and Garrett. He was predeceased by his parents, Edson and Sarah Saba Ganem and most recently by his sisters, Edna Powlishen of East Hartford and Anne Rehermann of Winsted. He is survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and God children. Edmund proudly served his country in the United States Marine Corps. He was also a member and supporter of countless service organizations. For nearly 40 years, he was the proprietor of Ganem's Oasis Package Store in Terryville before he "retired" to Florida where he worked for Crown Wines and Spirits. He is considered a pioneer in the liquor and wine industry as one of the first to promote fine wines from around the world. An avid sports fan and athlete throughout his life, Ganem parlayed his business savvy with his sports sense and emerged as a local promoter of everything from softball to semi-pro basketball, to professional wrestling. Having attended Knox College in Galesburg, IL where he was a member of the football team, Edmund went on to referee college football. A memorial mass will be held on Saturday, April 26 at St. Maron's Church in Torrington at 10 a.m. The family will receive condolences before the service at the church beginning at 9 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Edmund's name to the national chapter of Huntington's Disease Society of America, 158 West 29th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001-5300, http://www.hdsa.org.