McDonnell, Edward T. "Ed" (Age 78) Beloved father, grandfather and friend, passed away on July 25, 2010 at his home with his four children at his side. Ed was born to Martin and Margaret (Buggy) McDonnell on January 17, 1932 in Philadelphia, PA. He was the third of four children and grew up in Philadelphia. Shortly after high school, Ed enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served as a radar technician. His military service brought him to the Spokane, WA area when he was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base. Ed was honorably discharged from the USAF in 1955 and remained in Spokane, WA, his home for over 55 years. He attended Eastern Washington State College from 1956 - 1958. In 1957, Ed began working for the Federal Aviation Administration where he was an Electronic Systems Specialist at Mica Peak which was part of the Joint Surveillance System co-operated by the 25th Air Division of the USAF. During his tenure with the FAA he had many responsibilities and held several certifications as well as Secret Security Clearance. He retired from the FAA in 1985 after 31 years of government service. Ed enjoyed a long retirement life otherwise known as "the pro-leisure tour". He had several interests and hobbies which included: golfing with friends and family, football, fantasy football, boating, reading, cross word puzzles, gardening, canning and cooking. His homemade pizza and spaghetti were second to none and his kosher dill pickles were blue ribbon worthy. Ed loved spending time with family and friends. Many holidays, birthdays, graduations, bar-b-ques, and pizza nights were spent together and enjoyed by all. In addition to his four children and their families, Ed had many very close friends some of whom his kids referred to as the Chic-A-Ria, Casey's and China South groups. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends. Ed was preceded in death by his former wife and friend Donna, his father, mother, older brother, younger sister and niece. He is survived by his children DeVerne "Skip" (Marilyn) Taylor, Marcia (Wayne) Johnson, Marilynn Knapp, Marty (Sandy) McDonnell all of Spokane, WA; 10 grandchildren, 4 great- grandchildren; his brother Marty (Virginia) McDonnell, Marmora NJ; several nieces and nephews and many dear friends. A memorial celebration of Ed's life will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, August 15th at Sons Of Norway. There will be some time to share favorite stories for those who wish to do so. SPOKANE CREMATION & BURIAL SERVICE Published in Spokesman-Review from August 1 to August 2, 2010