Edward W. Harmer

Edward William Harmer, 75, passed away at Rahway Hospital.
He was born in December, 1949 to William and Mary Elizabeth Harmer. He then grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey and went to Marist High School. In elementary school, he was an altar boy at St. Mary's Parish in Bayonne, later named Our Lady Star of the Sea. He remained in New Jersey his whole life, serving the community as an optometrist with multiple offices, most notably in Carteret, while raising his children Ryan, Lauren, and William Harmer in Westfield.
Edward went to school for his undergraduate education at St. Peter's College in Jersey City and received his optometric education at the Pennsylvania School of Optometry in Philadelphia. Drawing on his background as a alter boy and his religious background, he considered going to a seminary to become a priest for a time.
He started his optometric practice in Carteret in 1979 the September after he graduated. At various times, he had an office in Carteret as well as Westfield and Bayonne. In Carteret, his practice for most of the years was on Orchard Street. There were patients who only ever had him as their optometrist, from the time they were ten years old or younger. For many years, he also worked in partnership with Omni Eye Services. Through his continued relationships with his patients and his medical rigor, he helped his patients through many medical issues outside of the eye, such as finding signs of diabetes.
Within optometry, he was a noted expert on dry eye. He gave numerous lectures and authored academic papers which others have built upon over the years, showing his continued influence even after his passing. Additionally, he published an academic paper in an ophthalmology journal, as an optometrist. Through his reputation, he had patients come from across the East Coast and even other countries. His practice closed earlier this year after 46 years in practice.
He was incredibly involved in his children's lives, such as coaching his daughter's softball team during middle and high school. In his free time, he enjoyed playing golf as well as listening to music, spending time with his family at home and back in Bayonne. Especially toward the end of his life, he enjoyed Jack Ryan movies. He was always notable for his height, being 6'4, and his various Cadillacs he drove over the years.
He was very active in the community. He gave eye exams to numerous classes of children primarily in Carteret and was a known figure in the New Jersey Society of Optometric Physicians. The number of optometrists he mentored is too many to count.
He later went on to serve as President of the NJSOP in 2014-15 after serving in several other offices. In his capacity as the President, he nominated the first black women physicians for leadership positions within the NJSOP and advocated for the optometrist's capacity to treat their patients with lawmakers in the state and federal government.
He is predeceased by his daughter, Lauren in 2023. She worked as a Recreation Specialist at the Westfield Recreation Department. She is the namesake of the Harmer Games conducted every year as part of the town summer camp. After her passing, the Harmer Family maintains a scholarship in her name called the Lauren A. Harmer Legacy of Kindness Scholarship to graduating seniors of Westfield High School.
He is survived by his loving wife, Frances; as well as his sons, William and Ryan; as well as his sister Elizabeth Brzostowski.
A visitation will be held on Sunday, August 3rd from 4pm to 8pm at Dooley's Funeral Home in Westfield. The funeral mass will take place on Monday, August 4th at 10am at St. Helen's Parish in Westfield. Entombment will follow at Fairview Cemetery, Westfield.
In lieu of flowers, any one with interest in donating to his daughter's scholarship should talk to his son William Harmer, reachable at (908) 414-0481.