Edwin R. Steel Iii

Edwin "Ed" Ruthvin Steel of Upper Gwynedd, Pennsylvania peacefully passed away on Saturday 5 April 2025, surrounded by three of his loving sons; he was 95 years old.

Ed was the loving husband of the late Barbara Benck Steel of Trenton, New Jersey and the father of their four sons: Thomas Lamson Steel (his wife Terry and their children Calley and Kevin) of Tucson, Arizona; Daniel William Steel (his wife Sue and their children Tyler and Alexandra) of Ocean View, Delaware; Frederick Benck Steel (his wife Carol and their children Danielle, Lauren, and William) of Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia: and Scott Christopher Steel (his wife Suzie and their children Theresa, Al, Isabela, and Christina) of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and 9 great grandchildren. Ed was predeceased by his sister Margery Hesselgesser.

Born in Springfield, Pennsylvania, Ed graduated from Lansdale High School in 1948 and from Penn State University in 1953 with a B.A. degree in journalism. Commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force, he served in Japan as an aircraft controller in the Defense Command. Following his service, he began a 35-year career with McNeil Pharmaceutical retiring as Executive Director of Marketing Communications. While at McNeil, he chaired the company's contributions committee, which led him to the board of directors of the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association. There he served as board president followed by many years as board secretary. Also during his retirement, he continued freelance work with both McNeil and Janssen Pharmaceutica.

While at Penn State, Ed met his future wife Barbara, whom he married in 1954 in Japan during his time in the Air Force. Back in the States, Edwin and Barbara began their family where Ed was an active participant in his four sons' lives, serving as president of Lower Gwynedd Little League during his sons' playing time. An active member of the Church of the Messiah in Lower Gwynedd, he was a member of the church vestry and helped to train the church acolytes, including his sons.

An avid fitness enthusiast, he stayed active through his late 80s faithfully riding his bike three times a week, swimming a quarter mile at the local YMCA, and exercising with weights in his basement. Ed was also an auto enthusiast, regularly watching NASCAR stock car races, and after owning a modified 1962 VW Beetle and 1967 Porsche 912, ended up loving his 2004 turbocharged Saab 9-5 station wagon. On Sunday afternoons, he filled the house with the sound of his Gibson mandolin, regularly serenading the family, playing Christmas carols at Christmas and "Happy Birthday" whenever one was celebrated, while in his later years, he performed with his senior orchestra at various locations in the area.

A child of the Great Depression, Ed was of the generation that measured the success of each day based on their accomplishments. Projects in the basement, fine tuning his cars, mowing the lawn, fixing what needed fixing, if there was something that needed to be done (occasionally augmented by some amusingly colorful language), he was not satisfied at the end of the day if they were not completed, but when they were, he relaxed at the end of the day with a solitary Miller Lite or Yuengling lager. On yearly vacations to Maine, he spent his days completing two acrylic paintings per trip, which were subsequently displayed around the house, and were deeply praised by all who saw them. Those paintings are now proudly displayed in his sons' homes.

Ed's disciplined nature, his artistic talents, and his deep concern for his family were a great influence on his sons and will be sincerely missed.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to Ed's favorite charity, Wissahickon Trails, which he dedicated countless volunteer hours to over 30 years. Checks can be mailed to Wissahickon Trails, 12 Morris Road, Ambler, PA 19002 or online gifts can be made at wissahickontrails.org. Please note the gift is in Ed's memory.