TOWACO, N.J. – John Joseph Edmunds Jr., a World War II veteran and professional engineer, passed away Dec. 21, 2011, after a brief hospitalization. Born June 23, 1919, in Mars Hill, to John J. Edmunds Sr. and Nina Hawksley, John was raised on the family potato farm in Bridgewater.
He graduated from the University of Maine, Orono, in 1941 with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical and electronics engineering. Later he earned his professional engineer’s license. In 1943 John married Ressa Yvonne Flewelling of Easton. They raised three children. Celebrating 62 years, Ressa passed away in 2005. Edmunds joined the Navy in 1942 and was sent to Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study the top-secret technology for detecting enemy ships: radar. His job during World War II was to go aboard ships to instruct the men in the use of radar, and make repairs as needed. After the war Edmunds returned home to Maine in 1945. Invited to join the faculty at the University of Maine, Edmunds taught physics for five years, residing in Old Town. In 1951 he moved his family to Rutherford, N.J., working as an engineer for DuMont Corp. Later as a self-employed contractor/builder, he designed and constructed elegant, custom homes in the North Jersey area. His homes were created with an eye toward useful function and pleasing form. He often said the fairing lines of ship construction are similar to a good landscape design. Mechanically gifted, John could take any machinery apart, fix it and put it all back together again with no stray parts left over. He had an insatiable curiosity and devoured books and magazines about astronomy, physics, architecture or anything else that piqued his interest. Generous, almost to a fault, Edmunds helped family and friends, also donating to many worthy causes. He was a member of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, the Shrine and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He loved to spend time at his camp in Peter’s Cove on Grand Lake. His father had established it for the family in 1935.
Edmunds was predeceased by his brother, Edward Edmunds and wife, Betty; sister, Garnella Osgood and husband, George; and a special niece, Linda Fischer, wife of George. He is survived by his children: son, John Edmunds III of Towaco, N.J., grandson, John Edmunds IV of Bloomingdale, N.J., and daughter-in-law, Ana Maria Edmunds of Bloomingdale, N.J.; daughter, Karla and husband, Eugene Christensen, of Jordan, Mont., granddaughter, Jana and husband, Merwin Currie with great-grandson, Eugene, grandsons, Eric Christensen of Phoenix and Chance Christensen of Paris; daughter, Dee Edmunds and son-in-law, Jonathan Himalaya, and grandchildren, Chelsea Himalaya and Jonathan Himalaya, of Waikoloa, Hawaii; as well as various nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life is planned Saturday, May 19, at his house in Towaco, N.J.
Family and friends please join us is honoring the memory of John J. Edmunds Jr.