Edmond B. Ames, 84, also known professionally as "Eddie Stack" of South Dartmouth, passed away peacefully at St. Luke's Hospital on September 29, 2010. He was the loving son of the late Custis T. and Ethyl (Slade) Ames and the husband of the late Evelyn A. (Copeland) Ames. He was born on June 25, 1926 in Newport, RI. He graduated from Rogers High School and Thompson Industrial School in Newport, class of 1944. He later attended Bryant College in Providence, SMU in Dartmouth and studied for a masters degree at UMass, Amherst. He also received a counseling certificate from the University of Oklahoma. While in school, he was a NCO in the Jr. ROTC, and was awarded letters in football and basketball. Upon graduating high school, he went to work for the US Navy as a storekeeper at the naval supply depot in Newport. He was later employed as an assistant director of the Opportunities Industrialization Center in Providence, developing training programs and job opportunities for disadvantaged youth. He was then employed as personnel assistant at the Uniroyal Rubber plant in Providence where he recruited minorities and females to work on government projects. He also developed and managed the plants affirmative action program.
He later returned to New Bedford to work as a project manager in the city's model cities program, where he developed and administered a work study program for high school and junior high school students. He also developed and received government funding for a variety of programs that were beneficial to the Greater New Bedford community including a free genetics testing program, that tested students and residents for Tay-Sachs and Sickle Cell Anemia, also a training program for cooks following this, he founded a corporation to first study the feasibility, then to develop procedures to process and market underutilized seafood species such as the red crab and ocean quoahogs. He successfully developed proposals that were funded by EDA and SBA to purchase land, erect a plant and purchase equipment for a plant in New Bedford that employed 90 persons.
He later returned to city employment as director of the Human Relations Commission, where he was charged with ensuring equal opportunity for all persons in the areas of employment, education and housing. At the same time, he was affirmative action officer for the SE Mass Regional Transit Authority.
He retired from the city in 1988 after developing and serving as director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Contract Compliance. He was also host of the bi-monthly TV talk show "We, The People" on Channel 6.
Following his retirement from the city, he worked at the Opportunity Center and the Standard-Times in New Bedford. Upon moving to Florida, he worked for Avis Rent-A-Car and the Pinellas Association for Retarded Children in Clearwater.
A professional musician, known as "Eddie Stack", he was a bandleader, composer, arranger and lyricist. Well known in Southeastern New England, Eddie traveled extensively and was the first Newporter to play at the Newport Jazz Festival, appearing three times. He also appeared on TV and radio and recorded for the Demco label.
A life member of Prince Hall Masons, he was Past Master of Boyer Lodge #8 in Newport, a 32nd Degree member of Mt. Sinai Consistory #12, Past Potentate of Constantine Shrine Temple #14 and Past Imperial Deputy of the Oasis of the State of Rhode Island. He was a member of Mt. Zion AME Church in Newport and Mt. Olive AME Church in Clearwater, FL.
An avid fishing and boating enthusiast, he was a member of the Acushnet River Safe Boating Club in Massachusetts and a Past State Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 1-605 in Fairhaven.
Survivors include his four children, Anthony Ames and his wife Meg of Tampa, FL, Ethel Prettyman and her husband John of Portsmouth, RI, Lisabeth Roberts and her husband Dr. William Roberts and Mark Davis of Miami Beach, FL; six grandchildren, Anthony and Stephanie of Newport, Aaron of No. Kingston, RI, Janra of Amherst, MA, Kia of Evansville, IL and Justin of Boston; five beloved great-grandchildren, Dorian Lopez, Jace, Kai and Trent Silva, all of Newport and Jackson William Prettyman.
He was the father of the late Edmund Stack Ames and Jan Allyson Ames and the loving brother of the late Theron C. Ames and Fred Seaton Ames.
Visiting hours Sunday, October 3rd from 6-8 PM in the Saunders-Dwyer Home For Funerals, 495 Park St. New Bedford. His Funeral Service will be held on Monday, October 4th at 10 AM at the Bethel A.M.E Church, 532 County Street, New Bedford. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701.