Obituary of Edward James Delanoy

Edward J. Delanoy, 83, of Martinsville, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2013. Ed was a devoted husband to his wife, JoAnn, and loving father and grandfather, and dear friend to many. Ed was born in New Brunswick, NJ, the son of Edward A. and Helen F. Delanoy, and graduated from New Brunswick High School in 1948. The next two years Ed served in the US Army Band during the Korean War, stationed in Japan. Upon his return, he attended Rutgers and Seton Hall University, as well as the Juilliard School of Music. He began a long career as a design draftsman at Union Carbide Corp. while simultaneously pursuing his true passion for teaching and performing music. Ed was leader and founder of The Queensmen, the "Big Sounding Little Band." As a second career, he was employed at K & S Music as a musical instrument quality control specialist. Ed moved to Martinsville in 1963, where he raised his family and was active in various youth,scouting, and sports organizations. An avid sports enthusiast, Ed was a long time season ticket holder of the NY Jets as well as a devoted fan of the NY Knicks, Penn State and Rutgers football teams. Ed also had a passion for boating, spending many weekends with his family skippering the Knight Pirate. He is survived by his wife, JoAnn (Romano) Delanoy; daughter, Donna Delanoy and son-in-law, Philip Walker, of Martinsville; son, Edward Delanoy, Jr. and daughter-in-law, Cathleen (Russo) Delanoy, of Toms River; as well as his grandchildren, Edward Michael and Dana Delanoy. He is also survived by his brother, George, and sister-in-law, Els Delanoy, of Fullerton, California, as well as their children, Brian and Michelle Delanoy, Darlene and Eric Papalini, Lisa and Darrell Fryer, and Doug and Melanie Delanoy. Funeral services will be held on Friday, September 6, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. at Higgins Home For Funerals, 752 Mountain Blvd., Watchung, followed by a 10:00 a.m. Mass of Resurrection at Blessed Sacrament Church, Martinsville. Interment will follow at Elmwood Cemetery, New Brunswick. Visitation will be on Thursday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made in Ed's name to the American Heart Association.