Edward R. Girard, passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 25, 2022 surrounded by his loving family. He was 81 years old.
Born in 1941 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Ed was the son of the late Edouard and Irene (Hamel) Girard. He was predeceased by his oldest daughter, Suzanne Irene Girard. He is survived by his wife, Geni Ferro; daughter Michelle Sparks of Dartmouth and her partner, Dan Cook; daughter Nicole Lamson of Mansfield and her partner, Steve Spilewski; son David Girard of St. Petersburg, FL and his wife, Amanda DeArmon; stepdaughter Bianca Ferro of Los Angeles, CA; and grandchildren Jordan, Jack, Sarah, Rowan, Emma, Mila and Micah.
At the age of 22, Ed graduated from Providence College. He became a very well-liked math teacher in the New Bedford Public School system, starting at Normandin Junior High and ending his over 20-year-career at New Bedford High School. Ed then worked as a successful campaign manager for Mayor John Bullard, taking a position in City Hall as Assistant to the Mayor after the election. Ed also was the proud owner of several apartment houses around the city. He worked tirelessly on each building, using the summers to pull out his scaffolding in order to paint, by brush, one building a year. He loved New Bedford and would proudly tell anyone he met on his extensive travels about his hometown. He and Geni had many overseas adventures together, including Italy, Portugal, Hong Kong, Bali and China. Ed was also a true road warrior. He drove across the U.S. no less than 20 times, many of them pulling his treasured Airstream trailer, even making it all the way to Alaska. He also enjoyed countless trips to his second home down in sunny Ft. Lauderdale. If you needed the best route to anywhere, Ed was your guy! Ed was an avid reader who loved taking a book to the beach. His love of numbers never waned. He worked as a tax preparer and treasurer of his beloved condo community well into his 70s. Ed was charming, quick with a smile and a jovial “How are ya?!” He was extremely generous of spirit and he will be dearly missed by his family and friends.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 15th at 10 AM at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. The family will receive visitors from 9-10 AM prior to the service. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Shane Eric Martin Foundation, dedicated to providing scholarships to students. Checks can be made payable to: the Shane Eric Martin Foundation, 38 Medeiros Lane, North Dartmouth, MA 02747, or online at givebutter.com/SecondAnnualShaneEricMartinMemorialWalk. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.