Edward (“Ed’) Raymond Tupper, 82, of Wolcott, passed away on Thursday, February 29, 2024, after a hard-fought battle with complications of respiratory syncytial virus. Ed was born on July 11, 1941, in Hartford. He was the son of the late Raymond Tupper and Dora (Bouley) Golembieski. Ed was the husband of Pamela (Kubalik) Tupper, also of Wolcott, and the father of Steven and Todd Tupper of Idaho and Virginia, respectively. Ed also leaves behind his younger sister Karen (Tupper) Wolfe of Somers, daughter-in-law Susan (Issac) Tupper, of Idaho, and step grandchildren Deanna Barrie, of Maryland, and Christina Kopp, of Idaho. In addition, Ed leaves behind many nieces, nephews and cousins including Aaron and Jason Tupper, both originally from East Hartford, Kristiann Tupper, originally of Colchester, Michelle Pych, of Meriden, Carol (Klotz) Goggin, of Manchester, Billy Wolfe, of Colchester, Wayne Wolfe, of Manchester, Wendy (Wolfe) Mitchell, of Manchester, Shelly Mondo, of Marlborough, Michael Arbo, of East Hartford, and Rob Arbo, of California. He is predeceased by his younger siblings: Howard Tupper, of Mississippi, Dennis Tupper, of Wolcott, Dorothy (Tupper) Chaney, of California, and Theresa (Tupper) Gallo, of Marlborough. Ed is also predeceased by his stepfather, Chester Golembieski, of East Hartford.
Ed proudly served in the United States Navy as a sailor on the USS York County. After serving in the Navy, he apprenticed as a refrigeration and air conditioning technician. While apprenticing, he took night classes to obtain his licensure. In 1971, he started his own company, ERT Refrigeration, located in Plantsville. Ed loved living in Connecticut and serviced thousands of homes and businesses (even including DellaVecchia!) across the state for almost 50 years.
Ed loved the Navy—and consequently, the water. He owned boats throughout most of his working years. His prize vessel was a vintage 1954 35’ wooden boat built by Colonial Boat Works. He devoted a lot of time to its upkeep and took many rides down the Connecticut River and out into the Long Island Sound with friends and family (incidentally, the picture of Ed above is from one of those rides). More than anything else, Ed was devoted to his family. He and his wife Pam had a fantastic relationship for 58 years. There was no shortage of banter and laughter between them, and together, they kept a warm, inviting, and loving home.
Ed was a special man. He had incredible grit and determination and an unparalleled work ethic. He came from humble beginnings and lost his father at an early age. Rather than faltering, he used those strengths and an unwavering sense of compassion to help support his mother and five younger siblings. Later, he built a strong and stable household of his own. Ed was also extraordinarily generous and compassionate toward his clients, friends, and even animals in need! He was an unassuming man and was a quietly integral part of the community. Ed was steadfastly uncomplaining. He also had a great sense of humor and carried it with him to the very end—making family and health care professionals laugh despite his own suffering.
Although Ed was 82, the onset of his sickness and subsequent decline and departure were sudden. It is a tremendous loss. The family deeply appreciates your support and asks that you make donations to veterans through the Fisher House Foundation (https://fisherhouse.org/).
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