I remember Ed from the SE Tionols where I met him, and from the evening I spent with him playing music during the summer of 2010. A better person I have never met. He will be missed.
dave boling
He’ll be fondly remembered and sadly missed on the forum.
http://forums.chiffandfipple.com/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=4600
RORY
I had the pleasure of meeting Ed in 2002 at the NE tionol. His humility, warmth, and inclusiveness made you a friend at first meeting. I had always hoped our paths would cross again, but alas, it was not to be.
There is a lovely piece written about Ed in the most recent The Pipers’ Review.
t
I am so sorry to hear that Ed finally succumbed to his long, 20 year, fight with cancer. A stronger man I have never met. Ed would show up at various Tionols where, even though in pain, he would laugh, play the pipes, and joke with his friends. Ed became my student and longtime friend around 1988 and a more devoted man to the Uilleann pipes I never met. Ed also played the banjo and is on YouTube playing “The Colored Aristocracy”. Good bye Ed and keep piping.
All the best to his wife and friends
Pat Sky
A sad day all around.
Very very sad to hear this news. I met Ed when I was about 12 years old and just starting out on the pipes, he was incredibly supportive and generous. He lent me one of the first sets I played, and I am still using a bag he gave me a few years back. A great man who will be greatly missed.
Terrible news. I had a long and nice private message conversation with Ed three years ago - he used to live in my hown town when he was in Germany. I did some research to find out where the family he lived with ended up - unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any descendants, as the family name seems to have vanished here. I sent him photos of the area where he lived to show him how it looks today, he was very happy and thankful and we pledged to have some beers if we might ever meet. Unfortunately we didn’t. May he rest in peace.
Ed did love Germany. I don’t know why this comes to mind but I remember how he once told me that he went to this big music festival when he was living there where the Rolling Stones performed. He said that Keith Richards was the best stage performer he ever witnessed (he said this with such absolute conviction – I’ll never forget it). That was one thing about Ed – on the one hand he gave you the impression of this stately gentleman and the next he’d go on and on about how much he loved the Rolling Stones performance at that time. He was just a solid Renaissance man and he will be sorely missed.
Ed was very good at making you feel like you were the most important person around - he would listen carefully to your words and think about them before saying or writing something to you.
Tom Busby was a tremendous influence on his life and helped him out quite a bit when he was starting out. They used to call one another and Tom would mail Ed tapes of various tunes and other recordings of pipers. He actually never met Tom Busby face-to-face! Even after Tom died (12 years ago), he would call Tom’s widow, Anna Busby every few weeks just to check up on her. Anna is still alive and living on Long Island, and even a month back, he was still calling her. Ed really was a gentleman, and a wonderful person and thought a lot about the needs of others.
He was my “Rogge buddy” - we both had Rogge pipes and when he learned that I had them some ten years ago, he was quick to help me. He loved his Rogge set (it was the Taylor style in D), and often sung the praises of how great the tone was. He had control over the set, too, and was able to handle the regs - even the bass regs. Whether it was the little end-cap valve thingys that go into the bag (I think I had one, and he had like 20 from Rogge), or a replacement blowpipe rubber tube (which Rogge has these less-than-stiff ones that are hard to replace in the States)… he was always there to help me and sent me supplies (free of charge) as I needed them. Not to mention in the last year and a half he really encouraged me in getting started on the regulators.
I think he has helped many many pipers in their calling. He was a great piper, and a great friend. I could go on and on and on.
He will be missed.
Truly one of the nicest people I have ever met. I will miss him.
Here are some photos Ed emailed me a few years ago of this Andreas Rogge pipes.
Rogge C sharp Full Set
Rogge Chanters C sharp, WB D and NB D
He didn’t send me photo of this Wide bore D Full Set with the Bass Regulator Taylor-style wrap around alone:
Not the usually long Bass Regulator type.
All the best
Ferg