Dr. Edward W. Carney

A loving husband and father, passionate and talented musician, and distinguished toxicology scientist, Dr. Edward Walter Carney of Midland, passed away suddenly while running on the Pere Marquette Rail Trail on Jan. 12, 2015. He was 55 years old.

Ed's warm heart and generous spirit permeated everything he did. Although he earned renown as an esteemed scientist, he counted his family as his greatest success, and was at his happiest when spending time with them. Over 30 blissful years of marriage, Ed was a loving, thoughtful and supportive husband to Nancy. He took great pride and enormous joy in his sons. He was a patient, hands-on father, deeply interested in his children's lives and an enthusiastic participant in the activities they enjoyed. He and Nancy traveled to see their children at every opportunity when the boys became adults. His family and friends will remember his constant smile, easygoing nature, patience, compassion and sense of humor.

Ed was born June 14, 1959 in Staten Island, N.Y. He met Nancy Hertlein when both were undergraduate students at Cornell, and they married in 1984. Throughout their marriage, they shared a love of the outdoors, and spent much time together camping, running, cross-country skiing and walking. They loved to travel and were thrilled last year to spend three months together in Italy, where Ed was a visiting scientist.

Music was central to Ed's life; in fact, many fans and friends in the music world were surprised to learn of his career as a Dow scientist. A creative and gifted musician, Ed's wide-ranging interests included saxophone, clarinet, jazz, classical and world music. He played in local bands including Three Penny Swing, and most recently, Three Worlds. He shared his love of music through his volunteer work on the Board of Directors of the Grove Music Festival. He passionately supported musical education through volunteer work with the Dow and Meridian High School jazz bands, ACT-SO, and as founder of Michigan Jazz Trail Jam sessions for local high school students. He also played at numerous churches in the Tri-Cities. He took special delight in his children's musicianship, proudly telling friends, "They all can outplay me now." His music lives on through his sons and the many dear friends and fellow musicians with whom he had the pleasure of making beautiful sounds together.

He constantly sought ways to make a difference in the world, whether at home, at work or in the community. Ed generously invested many hours helping others â€" whether mentoring a fellow musician or gently comforting a friend facing personal difficulties. He admired the humanitarians his sons have become and looked forward to joining them in philanthropic work in retirement.

An employee of The Dow Chemical Co. for over 22 years, Dr. Carney loved every aspect of his work. He counted his colleagues among his close friends. He performed it not only with the highest level of intellectual rigor and integrity, but also with humility and humanity - a deep commitment to ensuring that scientific advances and technologies are safe and sustainable for people and the environment.

He was a Research Fellow within Toxicology and Environmental Research and Consulting (TERC) at The Dow Chemical Co., and served as the Scientific Director where he was the Founding Director of the Dow Predictive Safety Assessment Center.

He published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and held numerous external positions, including those on the U.S. EPA Chartered Scientific Advisory Board and Board of Scientific Counselors, the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) Science Advisory Board, the Hamner Institute's Board of Directors, Teratology Society (past-president), Society of Toxicology (past-president, Reproductive & Developmental Toxicology Specialty Section) and the U.S. Humane Society's Human Toxicology Project Consortium.

Ed most recently took assignments at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission and USEPA National Center for Computational Toxicology. His collaborative approach has delivered ground breaking results in advancing next generation product safety, and the impact of his work will be felt for generations.

In addition to serving as an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan, he was a lecturer at the University of Surrey (UK) Master's Programme in Toxicology. Throughout his distinguished career, he earned many professional honors including Dow's "Best of the Best" Responsible Care Award in 2013.

First and foremost, Ed was a leader who cared about people and the sustainable development of our society. His rich and rewarding career at Dow enabled him to advance his interests in the sciences in ways that make life more fulfilling for everyone.

He earned his B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University, a M.S. in Veterinary Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his Ph.D. in Reproductive Physiology from Cornell University. Before joining Dow, he conducted postdoctoral research in molecular developmental biology at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute in Toronto, Canada.

He adored his entire family. He is survived by his wife, Nancy; and sons, Alexander of Berkeley, Calif., Kevin of Paris, France and Philip of Midland. He is also survived by his father, Edward V. Carney and his wife Angela; his brothers, Thomas (Liz) and Gregory (Cathy); aunt, Janet Marcello (Sal); mother-in-law, Jean Hertlein; brothers-in-law, Thomas, Donald (Arleen); and sisters-in-law, Susan, Patty (Doug), Karen (Joe), Anne (Billy). He is survived by a dear cousin, Sue Anne Marcello; and several others. He was a beloved uncle to his many nieces and nephews, and a cherished friend and colleague to many.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Joan (Kizis); grandparents, Sarah and John Carney, and Jean and Walter Kizis; father-in-law, Joseph Hertlein; and cousin, Jennifer Marcello.

Ed's final days were spent doing what he loved most â€" enjoying the holidays with Nancy and his sons. The wonderful memories they created are a gift to his family, who will turn to them to remember Ed with joy in the days ahead. In everyday moments, Ed would often grin and say, "This is living." His family hopes that spirit lives on in all who knew and loved him.

A memorial mass will be held at St. Brigid of Kildare on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015 at 2 p.m. with Fr. Patrick O'Connor and Fr. James Bessert officiating. Friends may visit with the family at the Smith-Miner Funeral Home on Friday, Jan. 16, 2015 from 4-7 p.m., followed by a vigil service presided over by the Reverend Wallace H. Mayton III, and at the church on Saturday, from 1 p.m. until the time of service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that friends who wish to remember Ed contribute to these charities: The Juara Foundation (Alex Carney project for music education in Brazil); Catholic Relief Services; The Grove Music Festival; and the Chippewa Nature Center.

Online condolences can be offered at smithminer.com.