Born in Dorchester, MA, Ed was a son of the late Paul Daniel Reardon and Margaret Jacobsen Reardon.
Ed played football, basketball and baseball at Holbrook High School in Massachusetts. His best sport was football. He was the Bulldogs starting quarterback both his junior and senior years. Offensively, he was an exceptional passer as well as a deceptive runner. He also played linebacker on defense. During the South Shore Jamboree game, in bad weather, Ed kicked an outstanding 50-yard punt.
The 1963 May-Shore title game versus Hull was a memorable one. At quarterback Ed directed a formidable back-field consisting of Holbrook Hall of Famer, Joe Nugent, Bill Hess and Paul Hogan to a 38-15 romp over Hull. In the victory, Ed passed for a touchdown, ran for a touchdown, ran and passed for two two-point conversions and to complete his exceptional performance, Ed intercepted a pass to stifle a Hull drive.
Ed was selected to the 1963 Brockton Enterprise All-Scholastic Football Team. Ed received a full scholarship to play football at Syracuse University. At Syracuse, Ed saw limited playing time, although teammates thought he should have played more. Ed received the nickname “South Salina Quarterback” when he played quarterback for the alumni team. The story goes, at the beginning of his senior year, the alumni team wanted Ed to play quarterback for them versus the starting varsity team. Ed led the alumni team to a resounding win! “South Salina” represents the tough resilient community around Syracuse. He graduated with a degree in sociology. He signed a free-agent contract with the San Diego Chargers.
In 1969, Ed went into the Army and served with honors in Vietnam. He received the Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry.
After the service, Ed worked for Shell Oil, lived in Stoughton, MA, and eventually moved his family to the South, and lived in many great places like Marietta, GA, Birmingham, AL, Bay St. Louis, MS, Pensacola, FL, Gainesville, FL, and Vero Beach, FL, then leaving the hurricanes behind, moving back to Snellville, GA, and finally Athens, GA. Through the years, while he and his wife, Robyn ran hotels, retirement centers, and self-storage facilities, Ed was known for mentoring staff; they loved “Mr. Ed” or “Mr. R” and he was very involved with many charities that were especially for battered and abused women and children.
Survivors, in addition to his wife, Robyn Windsor Reardon, are his twins: Amy and Chad; “favorite” son-in-law, Joe; and five grandchildren: Sage, Kelly, Kelsey, Solei, and Zaelan.
The family will hold a Celebration of Life at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516; online at https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate or Samaritan’s Purse, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607; online at https://www.samaritanspurse.org.
Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
v.1.9.6