Edward Mead

Edward Mathews Mead

    
Edward Mathews Mead, former publisher of the Times Publishing Company, editor of the Erie Times-News and a journalist for more than six decades, died Wednesday at Saint Mary’s Home of Erie at Asbury Ridge. He was 88.

Ed’s newspaper career with the Times-News spanned 63 years, and his popular column, "Odds & Ends," written under the pen name Ed Mathews, appeared in the paper from 1952 until late in 2013 when illness forced him to stop. In all, Ed wrote more than 14,000 daily columns and was thought to be the nation’s last newspaper publisher who still wrote almost every day.

The son of the late Times-News co-publisher John J. Mead Jr., and his wife, the late Grace Finerty Mead, Ed was born on Oct. 13, 1926. He had an eventful life that took him from Erie’s playing fields, where he excelled as an athlete, to service as a U.S. Marine during World War II, to a long, exciting career as a working journalist.

Ed combined two jobs, his first cousin Michael Mead said. He helped run the newspaper founded by his grandfather, John J. Mead, serving as president of the company from 1972 to 1996. He also served as co-publisher from 1974 to 1996, and was editor of the newspaper from 1972 to 1996. In recent years, Ed was the newspaper’s chairman emeritus.

Always intensely interested in people, Ed was as at home in the boardroom as he was at a christening party for the son or daughter of an employee. Those who worked for Ed were fond of him because he went out of his way to get to know them and their families.

Professionally, Ed made it a point to cover many of the big stories that broke across America. He traveled extensively and made friends wherever he went.

After his sophomore year at Cathedral Preparatory School, Ed enrolled at Phillips Academy at Andover, where he struck up a friendship with the young George H.W. Bush, who would become president. Bush greeted Ed warmly when he visited Erie in 1993 to speak at a local banquet.

Ed’s college years were interrupted by World War II, but after his discharge, he enrolled at Princeton University, where he starred on the football and basketball teams. Playing linebacker and end for Princeton, he made several college all-star football teams and was offered a professional contract by the Detroit Lions. He turned it down to begin his life’s work.

Following his graduation from Princeton in 1949, Ed started his journalism career at the Trenton Times. A year later, his father called him home to the join the Erie Daily Times, where he would spend two years working in every department at the newspaper. He became a newsroom fixture in 1952, and for the rest of his life, he would consider himself a newsman.

Ed loved Erie and was very active in the community. He served on numerous boards, including the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority for more than 40 years, the Boys & Girls Club of Erie, Saint Vincent Health Center, Villa Maria College, the Pennsylvania Public Television Network and many others. Ed also served for years as an usher at St. Peter Cathedral and was a dedicated member of the Times Old Newsies.

He was a longtime member of the Kahkwa Club, Erie Maennerchor, Erie Club and many other organizations.

Among his many honors, the Port Authority in 2012 named a fishing platform at Presque Isle Bay for Ed. Penn State Behrend presented him with the Behrend Medallion, and the Advertising Club of Erie named him Man of the Year. In 2014, the Erie County Bar Association presented Ed with the Liberty Bell Award. He was also elected to the Metropolitan Erie Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and in 1980, the late Bishop Michael J. Murphy honored him with the title of Knight of St. Patrick for his community and church involvement.

In addition to his parents, Ed was preceded in death by his siblings, John Mead, M.D., James Mead and Mary Mead Flanagin. Allene Steimer Mead, his first wife and mother of his three sons, died in 1999.

Ed is survived by his wife, Maurita Costa Mead of Fairview; and sons John James "Jamie" Mead and his wife, Blair, of Fairview, Edward Mathews "Matt" Mead Jr. and his wife, Letty, of Millcreek, and Daniel Mead, of New York City. His mother-in-law, Genevieve Costa, and stepchildren, Tamara Salchak, Tracy Wojcik and Chris Salchak, also survive

Ed worshipped his grandchildren — Taylor Day, Edward Mathews Mead III, Conor Edward Mead, Alayna Elizabeth Mead, John James Mead Jr. and Adala Mead, and his stepgrandchildren; Kara Waterhouse, Dan McNally, and Tyler Culp . Many nieces and nephews also survive.

Friends may call at the John J. Quinn Funeral Home, 728 W. 9th  St., on Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. and are invited to attend a Funeral Mass, celebrated by Monsignor Henry Kriegel, on Monday at 10:00 AM in St. Peter Cathedral. Private burial will be in Trinity Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, friends can donate to the Boys & Girls Club of Erie, 1515 East Lake Road, Erie, PA 16511, and the Times Old Newsies, 205 W. 12th St., Erie, PA 16534.

The family would like to thank the staff at Saint Mary’s Home at Asbury Ridge for the excellent care they provided for Ed.