Edward Thomas Morehouse Sr., formerly of State Road, Great Barrington, passed away Aug. 13, 2019, at Fairview Commons Nursing Home in Great Barrington after a long illness.
Ed was born Aug. 27, 1930, in Salem, New York, to Jacob Edward and Laura (Relyea) Morehouse. After graduating from the Washington Academy in Salem, he worked installing telephone equipment around Granville and Salem, New York, before joining the U.S. 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, New York, 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, Wisconsin, where their first two children were born: Tom in 1954 and Michele in 1956. In 1959 the family was transferred to RAF Croughton, UK. In 1963 the Morehouse family was transferred again, this time to Warner-Robins Air Force Base near Macon, Georgia. Here their third child, Matthew Paul, was born in 1966. Ed’s final assignment in the Air Force was to return to RAF Croughton from 1966 to 1969.
Ed retired from the Air Force in May 1969; moved to Schenectady, New York; and went to work for Price Chopper in Latham, New York, 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 and 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, which he served as chairman; 1st Berkshire Welfare Reform Board, which he served as chairman; the board of Massachusetts Municipal Association; the Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center in Pittsfield, which he helped to create and served as a longstanding chairman; and Community Services, helping those in need 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 wife Bonnie of Alexandria, Virginia, and Matthew Paul and wife Catherine of North Adams; six grandchildren: Carolyn Morehouse (Peter Jurgeleit) of Chicago, Amanda (William) Mandell of Slidell, Louisiana, Dennis Schmidt Jr. of Schenectady, New York, Kayla (Joseph) Gulotta of Sheffield, 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, Louisiana, and Sofia Gulotta of Sheffield. He was predeceased by his wife, Sally Ann (DeLucia); and their daughter, Michele.
Visitation will take place Friday, Aug. 23, from 4 to 7 p.m. at FINNERTY & STEVENS FUNERAL HOME. A memorial service will be held Saturday, Aug. 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 and 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 the family, go to www.finnertyandstevens.com.
