Edward Joseph Degnan

Edward Joseph Degnan, 80, of Milford, CT passed peacefully on June 3rd, 2025, after a brief illness with his family by his side.
Ed was the son of the late Edward and Julia (Lutian) Degnan. He felt blessed to grow up in a home on the Housatonic River in Stratford, CT where he inherited his passion for boating and cruising Long Island Sound from his father. Together, they built his first boat, and he was always proud to say, "I had a boat before a bicycle".
Ed is survived by his devoted and loving family, his wife Joan and their children Sean & Jill and Erin & Dennis. Ed was "Poppa" to his beautiful grandchildren Stella, Joseph, Kennedy and Kaiden, whom he adored. His greatest joy in life was spending time with his family and his greatest concern was always that they were ok. Ed is also survived by his in-laws Kevin, Margaret, Michael, Debbie and Laura and their families.
Ed was predeceased by his in-laws Edward and Josephine Casey, whom he loved dearly, sons Edward and Kevin, sisters Jackie, Tricia, and Rita, and brothers-in-law Edward and Brian. He was also predeceased by a childhood friend who was family to us. When the two of them were together, you couldn't help but have a great time. Some of our best memories are based on our time with him and his family, especially time spent boating and in Cape Cod. Ed also loved his trips to Florida on Jack & Jimmy's boats. Helen and Carol kept them well nourished.
To say Ed worked hard would be an understatement. On balance, he made time to enjoy life in the same manner. Ed felt fortunate to work in the trucking industry for over sixty years. First, as an owner-operator, then as an agent for Jones Motor for thirty-five years. An opportunity that Ed was grateful to the company owner, Jim Koegel for providing. Ed loved working for "Jones" and all those he worked with over the years. Especially Dave, Dwight, George, Skip, Eric, Mike, Pia, Susan, Larry F., and of course Larry N., "The Boss", who has been a thoughtful and loyal friend to our family for over 30 years. Ed hauled freight well over a million miles through every state in the U.S., including Alaska, as well as Canada in his prized, custom-ordered 1978 Kenworth, which was set to be featured in a truck show at the Hartford Civic Center before the roof of the building collapsed in January of '78. We will miss hearing the stories of his adventures on the road. Turns out that the "lean years" which were thought to be the worst, made the best memories.
We were fortunate to spend every summer for the last 42 years on our boat in places like Block Island, Newport, Port Jefferson, Mystic, Sag Harbor and Northport. "It Ain't Eazy" was our home away from home. The friends we met through boating became family. There was never a dull moment, especially on F dock. We eventually were the "senior boaters" but were always included and felt "forever young" when with them. Ed loved riding in the dinghy and looked forward to "dink & drink" on Wednesdays. We will always picture him sitting on the dock, watching the boats return at the end of the weekend, and savoring every minute.
In addition to boating, Ed enjoyed watching NHRA drag racing - especially John Force, NASCAR, and UCONN basketball (both men and women) - he never missed a game. He also enjoyed going to Barrett-Jackson auctions and tinkering in his garage until late at night. He loved to play fifties music and sing along as if no one was listening. We will miss his sense of humor and thoughtfulness.
Special thanks to Lorenzo, Mondie and Millaine. We appreciate you tremendously.
We will remember him giving us his all! If something was important to us, he always made it happen. When facing his recent illness, he was more than grateful for the life he lived and those that were a part of it.
Our hearts are broken, and we will miss him forever.
In lieu of flowers please consider donating to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital online at http://www.stjude.org/ or the Tunnel to Towers Foundation online at https://t2t.org/
Family and friends are invited to gather on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Cody-White Funeral Home, 107 Broad Street, Milford. A Eulogy Service is to begin at 6:00 p.m. To leave online condolences, please visit our website at www.codywhitefuneralservice.com
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