Obituary of Edward Thomas McEntee

Edward (Ed) McEntee of Port Washington, New York, born November 28,1928 in Brooklyn, NY.  entered eternal rest on March 27th, 2020 at the age of 91. Son of Marion and Eugene McEntee. Brother of Jeanne Hartmann, Margaret Hoffman, Rosemary Rasmussen and Robert. Ed was predeceased by all except Margaret. Beloved husband of Lillian Josephine McEntee (nee Giordano) to whom he was lovingly married for over 61 years. Devoted father of Thomas (Margaret) , John (Terry) , Edward, Jr. (Emily) , and Jeanne-Marie (James) Schott. Loving grandfather of Ashley, John Ryan, Patrick, Alexandra, Edward, Daniel, Allison, Katherine, Charles and William. Great grandfather to Caroline, Eleanor, Vivian and Roo. Ed attended Grover Cleveland High School but was unable to graduate as his father passed away suddenly when he was 16.  In order to support his mother and four siblings,  Ed enlisted in the U.S .Army on February 11, 1946 , landed in Le Havre, France and then took a train into Germany as part of  a post WW11 Peace Keeping Force. Ed joined the Inactive Reserve October 16, 1950, and was called to active service November 29, 1950. He served nine months in Korea. Ed had seen a lot of action against North Korean and Chinese forces in the area of the 38th parallel, the dividing line between the two Koreas. He was proud of the many gains they had made, pushing enemy forces back north of the dividing line. However, on June 2nd, 1951, Ed, who served with the 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, was asked by his commanding officer to get more ammunition. Upon his return, Ed was devastated to discover that his regiment had been hit by mortar fire from the North Koreans  and only six of the unit’s 30 members survived.  That day, Ed lost one of his closest friends, Bruno, who was an amazing athlete and had been looking forward to a pro baseball career.  Throughout their nine months in Korea, all the men had taken took turns pitching to Bruno so he could stay sharp. Ed was released from active service September 2, 1951. He volunteered for two more years active service beginning January 22, 1952 and was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. Ed was an avid Brooklyn Dodgers fan, grew up in the shadow of Ebbets Field, and fondly recalled his grade school nuns opening the classroom windows so that the children could hear the ball game. He was sad when the Dodgers left Brooklyn for the sunnier climes of Los Angeles. Fortunately, for Ed, he was released from service three weeks before the 1951 National League Championship game which he had the "misfortune" of attending.  He was in the Polo Grounds, when  Bobby Thompson hit  "The Shot Heard ‘Round The World"  defeating his beloved Dodgers  and that was the first and last time Ed stepped foot into the Polo Grounds. After returning from the war, Ed embarked upon a life of service and selflessness.  He never wanted to be part of the "52/20 club," which provided unemployed war veterans $20 per week for 52 weeks while they were looking for work. Instead, he got a job the first day he returned from the army. He became one of New York City's Finest serving as a police officer for two years. Ed than joined in serving as one of New York City's Bravest as a Firefighter  in the Fire Department of New York (FDNY). He was in the FDNY for 22 years and a proud member of Ladder Company 143 in Queens. He never wanted to be referred to as an "outside firefighter" and was always the first in. He retired as a Lieutenant in 1976. After retirement, he worked in a travel related business for over twelve years with his brother in law, Joseph Giordano and his nephew Joey both of whom he loved dearly. That period proved to be a treasure trove of wonderful memories for his family. Ed taught his children and grand children, how not to be afraid and to never be too busy.  He risked his life fighting wars and fires so others could sleep soundly in their beds. He was other people's peace of mind, insurance policy, and back up plan. He was a shining example of the Greatest Generation.   He loved music, especially the Big Band Era, and was a gifted dancer. We remember this because none of us were gifted with that talent. He looked for the good in everyone. Ed always listened and consoled and gave us his unconditional love. If he was with us right now, he would leave you all with this pearl, "Love Many, Trust Few, Always Paddle your own Canoe." Dad,  you are our everyday hero. You NEVER put yourself first. You always thought of “the other guy”.  Your words, and more importantly, your actions have been instilled in us as a blueprint for life. We love you and hope you are watching the Dodgers play at Ebbets  Field and you get to throw batting practice to Bruno up in heaven.