IN MEMORY OF

Edward J Rudewicz

Edward J. Rudewicz, 78, a resident of Forked River, NJ, passed away on April 22, 2015 in Southern Ocean Medical Center, Manahawkin, NJ.

Ed was born in Bristol, PA, to his parents, Edward S. Rudewicz and Eleanore Pilia.  He graduated from Olney High School, Philadelphia, PA in 1954. He continued his education at Pennsylvania State University in Electrical Engineering. He received special training in Cable Fault Locating at H.D.W. Electronics, Inc., Bethlehem, PA.

Ed fell in love with and married Margaret Schmitt on June 27, 1959. Ed and Marge moved to Beachwood, NJ to be closer to the ocean where he could enjoy his passion for fishing and boating. During their first year of marriage, Ed was drafted into the Army for two years.

Ed worked at Jersey Central Power & Light Co. for 39 years. He advanced from Utility Worker Line through Line Construction and Maintenance Chief A to Group Supervisor Line in Toms River, Point Pleasant, Cookstown, Lakewood and Berkeley Districts. He had a special talent for locating cable fault failure.  Ed worked with H.D.W. Electronics, Inc. to design a URD cable fault locating van to expedite failure location and restoration of customer service for which he received the Presidential Incentive Award in 1991. Ed also coordinated, installed and tested the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) mandated Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station (OCNGS) Early Warning System.

Ed’s passions were boating, fishing and hunting. He enjoyed his weekends fishing in the ocean or relaxing with family and friends on his boat in the Barnegat Bay. As the seasons changed, so did Ed’s outdoor hobbies.  He had numerous deer hunting stands in the NJ Pine Barrens. Ed was a genuine ‘Jack of All Trades’ and believed that no job was too big or too small. At the early age of 16, he demonstrated his talent in handiwork by building his own boat. He loved the challenge of troubleshooting difficult projects. Ed had a special knack for rigging, a skill he acquired while working on barges in the New York Harbor with his grandfather, Joseph Pilia. If anything was broken, one simply had to call on Ed to fix it.

In 1985, Ed and Marge moved to their new home in Forked River, NJ. He lovingly stood by Marge’s side as a committed husband and caregiver during her over 30 year struggle with Parkinson’s disease.

Ed is survived by his wife, Margaret; daughters Margaret Beach and Mary Ann Sheppard; and grandchildren, Frankie, Michael and Mark Sheppard and Morgan and Mariel Beach.

A Funeral will be held on Friday, May 15, 2015 at 11am at St. Pius X Church, 300 Lacey Rd, Forked River, NJ 08731.

In lieu of Flowers, donations may be made in Ed’s name to the American Parkinson Disease Association at www.apdaparkinson.org or 800-223-2732.