Obituary

Ed Brech, a proud resident of Lighthouse Hill, passed away on June 15, 2023. Born and raised in Staten Island, Ed was married for 57 years to his beloved wife Cathy, until her passing in 2021. Ed was a graduate of McKee High School and the College of Staten Island where he earned a degree in Civil Technology. He used his degree to forge a long and distinguished career, working most recently for the City of New York School Construction Authority. Prior to that he worked as a Project Engineer for multiple companies, supervising all phases of construction including highways, utilities, tunnels, bridges, buildings and parks in and around Staten Island. But the project he was most proud of was his home, which he designed and built from scratch on his own. Ed was somewhat quiet, with a wickedly dry sense of humor. He was always ready with a joke or a witty comeback. He and Cathy loved their boat, the “Cee Bee”. He was a great fan of many forms of music including Jazz, classical, folk, and Irish. His record and CD collection was extensive and his recall for every artist and their genre was amazing. He was also a fan of old movies and spent hours watching Turner Classic Movies. Ed was also a great beer aficionado, and he spent quite a bit of time in the legendary bars of Staten Island, which is where he met Cathy. Ed was a proud veteran of the US Army, serving in Vietnam and Thailand, as well as posts in Europe and the States. He continued to support veterans throughout his life. He was a member of the VFW, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Elks Club, the Richmondtown Historical Society, and the Richmond County Yacht Club. A devote Catholic, Ed was a long-time parishioner of St Patrick’s Church. In addition to his wife, Ed was preceded in death by his brothers, Ralph and Jimmy, and his beloved sister Catherine, as well as his parents Milton and Gertrude. He is survived by many great friends and neighbors, and by more nieces and nephews than he could count, and they will all miss him terribly. Where else are they going to learn about the artistic merits of Foghorn Leghorn and Pepe LePew?