Edward Henry Radke

Edward Henry Radke Jr, 85, passed away peacefully at his home in LaBelle, FL on September 17, 2020. He leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife Lori M. Shula . He is survived by his children: Robin (Douglas) Nehls, Elizabeth, and Charles; 5 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren; brothers: William (Sue) Erickson and James (Donna) Radke. He was a loving uncle to many generations of nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his first wife Delores, his parents, his brother Kermit Radke and sister Joanie Erickson (Chuck) Schiavi.

He graduated High School in Lake Zurich, Illinois and later graduated from Chicago’s Devry Technical College. Edward took pride in achieving Eagle Scout status. He and Delores married in 1956 and they were devoted to their family until her death in 2011. After serving in the Army in the 1950’s, he owned and operated a TV repair shop in Prairie View, IL before joining AT&T Bell Labs where he deployed the revolutionary 5ESS switch in Sugar Grove, Ill as well as deploying the 5ESS switch in domestic and foreign markets: China, Hong Kong, England, France and Spain for the 1992 Olympics. After retirement, he founded Homestead Orchards, a family-run organic farm and apple orchard in Woodstock, IL.

After many Florida/Wisconsin snowbird years, he lived for 20 years on Pine Island where he fully enjoyed boating and fishing the waters of Charlotte Harbor. In 2016 he and his wife Lori moved to their home ‘Casa Del Rio’ on the banks of the ancient Caloosahatchee River in which water he again boated and fished. Edward was an 60 year amateur radio enthusiast with call K9GZT . He held dual membership in Big Lake ARC and Ft Myers Amateur Radio Club where he served as Director . He was a contributor and patron of LaBelle’s Firehouse Community Theater and the Florida Repertory Theater in Fort Myers as well as a LaBelle CERT member.

Edward was a gentle, honorable, upstanding man, freely providing expertise and a cheerful attitude to all. Always ready to sharing fishing tales and grinning impishly as he noted that his initials were the same as Queen Elizabeth: EHR.

Due to the concerns about social gatherings affecting us all at this time, funeral and interment services will be held privately for the immediate family . Arrangements have been entrusted to Hodges Funeral Home at Lee Memorial Park, Ft Myers. Online condolences may be left by visiting leememorialpark.com