Edward J. Tulay

After a brave struggle with cancer, Edward John Tulay, age 75, passed away at the Fisher Home in Amherst on December 26, 2018.

Ed was the son of a Polish farming family from Northampton. Ed was born to Josephine (Blizniak) and Metro Tulay on January 12, 1943.

Ed and his high school sweetheart Linda (Desmarais) began dating while attending Northampton High School, and were married on February 27, 1965. After graduating from high school, Ed attended Holyoke Community College and received his Associate's Degree. Shortly afterwards, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served for two years in Korea. After returning home to Northampton, Ed and Linda had two children, Mark Tulay of Vienna, Virginia, and Scott Tulay of Amherst, Massachusetts.

Ed was an extremely hard worker. He worked for 25 years as an engineer at General Electric in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, never taking a single sick day. After retiring from General Electric in 1996 and enjoying several months off, he returned to work. He worked part-time at Table & Vine in Northampton (at which he enjoyed discussing the merits of different beers), and also worked for 20 years as a mail carrier at Yankee Candle in South Deerfield. Ed was so beloved at Yankee Candle that in 1998 he was named Employee of the Year, winning a vacation anywhere in the country (he and Linda chose to travel to San Diego and Las Vegas).

Ed was kind to everyone he met, and always greeted family and friends with a smile and a friendly word. Ed will be remembered for his love of telling stories, fishing and watching the Red Sox (although he always turned off the television if the Sox were down). Ed and Linda spent a number of years living in a house on a lake in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. Whenever requested, Ed would facilitate the "Bassmaster" fishing competition amongst his family members, carefully weighing and measuring each bass caught to determine that day's winner. Ed loved to take his family out in their pontoon boat for a tour of the lake and swimming. In his later years, Ed could be seen taking his adored Shiba-Inu, Foxy, for walks around Northampton.

Most of all, Ed will be missed by his family, including his wife, children and grandchildren, whom he doted on through his entire life. "The best way to be a good father to your children is to be a good husband to their mother," said writer Jay E. Adams, and Ed was both of those things.

Ed is survived by his wife Linda, his sons Mark and Scott, his daughter-in-law Alethea (O'Donnell), his grandchildren Pearl, Mabel and Evan Tulay, and a number of other relatives in the Northampton area.

Ed's family thanks the employees of the Fisher Home for their loving and respectful care for Ed in his final days.

Calling hours will be held at Ahearn Funeral Home, 783 Bridge Rd., Northampton, on Saturday January 5, 2019 from 10 am to 12 pm. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Hospice of the Fisher Home, 1165 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01002.

Ahearn Funeral Home

(413)587-0044