Published in the March 3, 2017 edition
MELROSE — Edward A. Cunniffe, 57, of Melrose, died unexpectedly on Feb. 23, 2017.
To talk about Ed is to tell you that Ed was the perfect gentlemen who always thought about others first and himself second. He was kind, considerate, smart, funny, the nicest person you could meet, but truly understated. He would always have a grin on his face and a kind word for all.
Ed was a family man. He loved spending time with his wife of 30 years, Ellen, and his kids, Jackii, Chris and Becca, whether it was walking, hiking, biking, going to the movies or simply playing a board game. He was a devoted sports dad who went to all his kids’ games and even coached some.
Ed came from a large, but extremely close family where spending time with them or having a game night with siblings was common. He was an avid Boston sports fan, especially the Bruins, Patriots and Celtics. He went to many Bruins games and when he was not able to go, he would root for them from home. He and Ellen had the enviable opportunity to have a special dinner with Terry O’Reilly and his wife at the Capri restaurant, which was a highlight in Ed’s life.
He was an avid lover of classic cars and was always working on his ‘70 Chevy Nova. He had an old Studebaker that he had not started working on but was excited to rebuild at some point. During the summer months, Ed could be found on his motorcycle, whether just taking a ride or going for a ride with his son Chris.
He was a natural athlete who excelled at any sport. He especially loved playing tennis on Saturdays with his friends Chuck, Scott and Tom.
Ed could always be found tinkering on something whether it was his cars, house, yard, equipment or just re-organizing, he was always doing something productive. He was an incredible fix-it guy (we always joked he was MacGyver) as he could truly fix anything with his ingenuity, which was inherited from his dad. His biggest fan was his mother-in-law, Gladys, who always was amazed at how talented he was at fixing anything. She would always say, “Oh God love Ed, he could fix anything.”
Ed worked at VHB in Watertown, and would always be talking about how lucky he was that he had an exceptional boss, Jim, and that he had a job he liked and that the people and the company appreciated him.
He loved and appreciated life and even with his heart being what it was, he never let it stop him from doing anything, including helping people or enjoying life.
Ed was the beloved husband of Ellen (Latshaw) Cunniffe. He was the devoted father of Jackii Cunniffe of Cambridge and Chris Cunniffe and Rebecca Cunniffe, both of Melrose. He was the loving son of the late Charles W. and Jacqueline L. (Reade) Cunniffe. He was the caring brother of Charles Cunniffe and his wife Angela of Colorado; Larry Cunniffe of California; Charlene Cunniffe and Dick Csaplar of Somerville; Maureen Denison and her husband John of Andover; Eileen Labrecque and her husband Bob of North Andover; Francine Cunniffe of New Hampshire; and John Cunniffe and his wife Marie of Westford.
He was the brother-in-law of Thomas Latshaw and his wife Patty of Virginia; Christine Pearse and her husband David of New Hampshire; and Michael Latshaw and his wife Barbara of Stoneham. He was the son-in-law of Gladys Latshaw of Melrose. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Visiting hours were held at the Gately Funeral, 79 West Foster St., Melrose on Thursday, March 2. His funeral will be held from the Gately Funeral Home on Friday, March 3 at 8:45 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in the Church of the Incarnation, 425 Upham St., Melrose at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends respectfully invited to attend. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Ed Cunniffe’s name to: Brigham & Women’s Cardiovascular Research and Education Fund #016284 75 Francis St., Boston, MA 02115.
