Mr. Edward M. Krech Jr.

Jack of all trades and master of all of them. Amazing husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and an inspiration to all who knew him. Graduate of Cornell University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and post-graduate degrees in Engineering and Business Administration with honors. He was also on the varsity crew that won the national championship in 1954 and coached Cornell lightweight crews for two years. He served in the U.S. Navy, first at sea and then as Olympic Trials rowing coach and Engineering Instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis for 2 years. Ed retired after 34 years as Associate Director of Engineering from Procter and Gamble, all in International, including living and working 12 years in five countries in Europe and working in 50 other countries around the world. After retirement he and wife Joan moved to South Carolina in 1994 and continued an active life. World traveler, sculptor, painter, runner, hiker, mountain climber, sailor, scuba diver, lecturer, model train enthusiast, philanthropist, writer (his book “Six Lives In One” was voted by the Editors of Amazon, their top 100 books of 2014). He also won the South Carolina Arts Commission 2006 Award for Short Fiction. He was a volunteer coach of marathon runners for Leukemia Society’s Team-in-Training program for 8 years. He had run 28 marathons, including 4 Boston marathons. Ed also was Board President of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Clemson University for 3 years. He also taught portrait and figure sculpture for OLLI. He was an active hiker and climber, including five trips to the Himalaya and also working in a rescue hut on the Mt. Everest route in Nepal in 2000 at age 68.A lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church, he was active in Seneca Presbyterian Church and served as Elder, Deacon and chair of many committees. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Joan Gras Krech, son Edward M. Krech III of Easley, daughter Kathleen Bridges and husband Wayne of Tamassee: grandchildren Christopher Michael Edwards of Maineville, Ohio, Richard William Edwards and wife Crystal of Cincinnati Ohio, Sean Southard and Gabrielle Holodnak of Tamassee, William Henry Holodnak and wife Hannah of Bellevue, KY, Tiffany Southard of Virginia Beach, VA; and greatgrandaughter Maci Edwards; brother Alan Starr Krech and wife Lou of Columbia, SC, sister Virginia Lynn Krech Jasko and husband Al of Manasquan NJ; and five nieces and nephews. Predeceased by daughter Susan Carol Krech Edwards Holodnak and daughter in law Donna Johnson Krech. A Memorial Service will be held at the Seneca Presbyterian Church on Saturday, April 18th, 2015 at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the ALS Society (www.alsa.org) or American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org).

Mr. Edward M. Krech Jr.

June 28, 1932 - March 23, 2015