Edward T. Morehouse Sr., 88

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Edward Thomas Morehouse Sr., formerly of State Road, Great Barrington, Mass., passed away on August 13, 2019 at Fairview Commons Nursing Home in Great Barrington after a long illness.  

Ed was born on August 27, 1930, in Salem, N.Y., to Jacob Edward and Laura (Relyea) Morehouse. After graduating from the Washington Academy in Salem, he worked installing telephone equipment around Granville and Salem, N.Y., before joining the Air Force in November 1948 as a communications technician. Following his technical training, he was assigned to the 656th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron in Schenectady, N.Y., where he met his future bride, Sally Ann DeLucia, a nursing student. They were married in 1949.

In 1952, Ed was sent to Korea and was assigned to the 5th Communications Group near Seoul. He returned in 1953 and was stationed in the Midwest around Chicago and Madison, Wisc., where their first two children were born, Tom in 1954 and Michele in 1956. In 1959, the family was transferred to RAF Croughton, United Kingdom. In 1963 the Morehouse family was transferred again, this time to Warner-Robins Air Force Base near Macon, Ga.  Here their third child, Matthew Paul, was born in 1966. Ed's final assignment in the Air Force was to return to RAF Croughton, United Kingdom, from 1966 to 1969.  

Ed retired from the Air Force in May 1969, moved to Schenectady, N.Y., and went to work for Price Chopper in Latham, N.Y., where he quickly worked his way to the position of store manager. He also worked at several other stores in the area - Colonie, Amsterdam, Syracuse, Hudson - in some cases to oversee major renovations and new store openings. In 1975, he was asked to oversee outfitting and become the inaugural manager of a new Price Chopper in Great Barrington. Ed retired from Golub Corporation, owner of Price Chopper, in 1984.  

Ed loved Great Barrington and was very active in the civic life of the community. In 1982 he was elected to the Board of Selectmen and remained a Selectman until 2002. For the last five years of his tenure, he served as Chairman. In addition, he served on many other boards and commissions throughout the county, such as the Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation, Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA), served as chairman, 1st Berkshire Welfare Reform Board, served as Chairman, Board of Massachusetts Municipal Association, The Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center in Pittsfield, Mass., which he helped to create and served as a longstanding chairman and Community Services, helping the needy in Great Barrington with food and fuel

Ed was a communicant of St. Peter's Church in Great Barrington and was lector at the 7 a.m. Mass for 20 years.

He is survived by two children, Tom (Edward T. Jr) and his wife, Bonnie, of Alexandria, Va., and Matthew Paul and his wife, Catherine, of North Adams, Mass.; six grandchildren, Carolyn Morehouse (Peter Jurgeleit) of Chicago, Amanda (William) Mandell of Slidell, La., Dennis Schmidt Jr. of Schenectady, N.Y., Kayla (Joseph) Gulotta of Sheffield, Mass., and Matthew Paul Morehouse Jr. and Brooke Morehouse of Great Barrington; and five great-grandchildren, Cooper and Charlotte Jurgeleit of Chicago, Hope and Kyle Mandell of Slidell, La., and Sofia Gulotta of Sheffield, MA.  

He is predeceased by his wife, Sally Ann (DeLucia); and their daughter, Michele.  

Funeral notice: Visitation will take place at FINNERTY & STEVENS FUNERAL HOME on Friday, August 23, 2019, from 4 to 7 p.m. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 24, at 11 a.m. at the funeral home in Great Barrington, conducted by Rev. William P. Murphy. Interment will be at St. Peter's Cemetery.  

In lieu of flowers, donations, contributions can be made to St Peter’s Restoration Fund c/o FINNERTY & STEVENS FUNERAL HOME, 426 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230.  To send remembrances to his family please go to www.finnertyandstevens.com.