Edward A. Carnes

1932 - 2024

Edward A. Carnes
December 23, 1932 - March 15, 2024
Edward Carnes passed away peacefully in his home in San Carlos, on Friday, March 15, 2024, at the age of 91.
The second of three children to William James Carnes and Anna Zambotti, Ed grew up in steel-working country in Steubenville, Ohio. As he often recounted, it was a proudly hard-working community that structured its weeks around well-earned paychecks, family meals, and love of the country that provided them with seemingly ever-increasing opportunities.
Ed was the first in his family to attend college, earning a BS in Business Administration in 1955, from Miami University of Ohio, and he would remain a fiercely loyal supporter of the school for his entire life. Upon graduation, he joined the Army, serving in various postings in Europe. His early aptitude tests placed him at the top of his cohort, and that meant that he regularly was asked to take on leadership and administrative positions. The Army was also his entry into the world of travel, and he used his leaves to make fondly remembered visits to Barcelona, several cities in Italy, and Copenhagen. With the travel bug now in his system, it was only natural that he would follow a friend's advice and take his first (and only) civilian job in the airline industry.
Over his 41 years as an accountant for United Airlines, Ed was an active participant in the rise of commercial passenger aviation in the United States. After several years in auditing -- which took him to dozens of US cities -- he made a decisive move from Chicago to San Francisco in 1966, helping United establish its new maintenance base in the rapidly growing Bay Area. Eventually, he rose to serve as Manager of Maintenance Sales Accounting, and he prided himself on being among the longest-serving employees in the company prior to his retirement at the end of 2001.
It was at United that friends set Ed up with another Midwestern transplant, Lois Zeplin from Neb. She would become the love of Ed's life, and after their marriage in 1967, they bought their first and only family home together in the White Oaks area of San Carlos. Over their 51 years of marriage, they raised two sons, Matt and Jim, and made their home a place of welcome for neighbors, family, and acquaintances from church and schools. After Lois' death in 2018, Ed continuously maintained fresh flowers in her memory on the living room table - an abiding sign of the love they shared.
A believer in small-town community life, Ed volunteered as a coach and umpire for San Carlos Little League when Matt and Jim were young, eventually serving as the coordinator of the umpires and the President of the League. Over subsequent years, he frequently helped alongside Lois at PTA and church events, quietly setting up or cleaning up and always staying until the end. After his retirement from United, he began volunteering in Travelers Aid at San Francisco International Airport, a role he savored as he welcomed newcomers and guided travelers through the airport which he knew like the back of his hand (since he had seen it grow from its beginning!). He was recognized by President Barack Obama in 2015, with the President's Lifetime Achievement Award for his more than 8,000 volunteer hours in this role.
In his later years, Ed was known around town for his long walks around San Carlos. His waves and small talk with neighbors helped bind together the White Oaks community where he lived, welcoming new families and sustaining aging ones. Ed's final days - when he could no longer make those walks around town - saw him enjoying time under the monumental live oak in his backyard, tending to his garden, reflecting quietly on life, and savoring visits from the many neighbors who continued to stop by to see him.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., at St. Charles Catholic Church (880 Tamarack Blvd., San Carlos). Interment will follow at 1:00 p.m. at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery (490 Lincoln St., Santa Clara, Calif.) In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Kino Border Initiative, P.O. Box 159, Nogales, Ariz. 85628-0159, https://www.kinoborderinitiative.org/give