Edwin F. McGlynn

Edwin F. McGlynn of Beach Haven NJ, died peacefully, at home with family at his side on Tuesday November 26, 2024. He was 94 years old.

Born in Philadelphia, Ed was the beloved husband of Patricia Galvin McGlynn for 64 years. He was the son of Joseph McGlynn and Margaret Ryan McGlynn, brother of William, Margaret Mary Schwartzberg, Joseph, Klair Filarsky, Thomas and Steven McGlynn.

Ed graduated from LaSalle College High School in 1949. He earned a BS in Physical Chemistry from LaSalle University in 1953, then a Master of Electrical Engineering from Drexel University.

Ed was an adventurous, colorful spirit who quickly touched the hearts of those who met him. He was an entrepreneur, inventor, fisherman, sailor, and devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend.

His professional career spanned many decades starting with Philco Corporation developing color TV’s in the 50’s, before moving into their military division. He then worked for RCA supporting the space program.

During the course of his career, he founded several companies and developed many “first of a kind” technologies that have had a significant impact on the world in which we live in today. These include the first point-of-sale computer for fast food companies, Bidirectional turnstiles used in the NYC subways, a check scanner for check processing, electronic vending machines/dispensers and multiple advanced technologies including smart multiple carriage racks, supporting the United States and Allied Militaries.

During an extended stint toward the end of his career working at the Naval Air Development Center in Warminster, PA he supported the Navy in the development of many modern aircraft systems that are still in service today. He is the holder of multiple patents on the technologies he developed throughout his career.

Beach Haven, NJ has always been his happy place. His love of fishing, sailing and this beach side town started when his parents bought a home in Beach Haven when he was a young boy. At that time there were long stretches of the island with no houses, just trees and sand dunes.

His hard work and determination enabled him to purchase a second home for his family in Beach Haven in 1967, right next to his parent’s home on Belvoir Avenue. In the years to come two of his brothers and his sister would join the clan on the 100 block of Belvoir.

Ed had a great love for animals. From the many family dogs to the stray cats in the neighborhood, he had a soft place in his heart for them, as they did for him. He enjoyed watching the many fur and feathered friends that visited the bird feeders in his back yard.

An active member of Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club (LEHYC) in Beach Haven for 55 years, Ed was always thrilled to share his passion for sailing with others. He purchased a Marshall Sanderling Catboat in the early 1970’s and quickly became the driving force behind the growth of the catboat fleet at LEHYC, hosting a legendary point-to-point annual race named after his boat, The Happy Hour. He raced his Sanderling every Saturday of the summer until his late 80s. He was also a dedicated supporter of Sea L’Eggs, a program which introduced sailing to the ladies of Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club.

When not on the bay, he could be found on the beach with a fishing line or two in the ocean looking for his next great catch. He remained active at his passions throughout his life. He was proud to have won a prize in the LBI Surf Fishing Classic for the Kingfish he caught 12 days after his 93rd birthday. He was often seen tooling around Beach Haven in his “chariot” (aka e-trike), checking out the beach, looking for baitfish, delivering treats to the local dogs or heading to the yacht club to hop a ride on a boat with friends.

He will be remembered always for his dedication to his wife Pat, love of family, love of life, witty sense of humor and intentionally awful renditions of “Happy Birthday”. We will miss seeing him around every corner in our beloved Beach Haven.

He is survived by his devoted children, Kevin (Margie), Shawn (Jennifer), Terry (Debbie) and Maureen (Larry) Koerwer and his seven dear grandchildren Emily (Lucas), Megan, John, Corey, Kelly, Connor and Ian.

There will be a celebration of life with family and friends on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at the Brant Beach Yacht club in Brant Beach, NJ. The family will receive guests between 10:30am and 11:30am followed by a brief ceremony and lunch. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in Ed’s memory be made to either of the following two charities:

Friends of Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter at https://www.fosocas.org/donations/

Mordecai Land Trust at https://mordecailandtrust.org/what-you-can-do/donate-today/