Edward K. Guthrie was born on July 16, 1918 in Omaha, NE. He was the oldest of four siblings born to Henrietta Jackson. Ed graduated from Tech High School in 1936. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in October of 1940. He was sent to the Henry Ford Automobile Plant to train as an Electrician Mate. Ed served on the USS Whitney and on December 7, 1941, was docked in Pearl Harbor when the infamous attack took place. He spent the next several days picking up wounded and dead bodies out of the oily water. Ed was reassigned to the USS Banner and his ship headed for the Asiatic Pacific during the duration of WWII. After the war was over, Ed’s ship participated in the first Atomic Bomb Test in the Bikini Atolls. After being honorably discharged from the Navy in November of 1946, Ed returned to Omaha where he began a 34-year career with OPPD. Ed met Janet in 1947 and they were married in April of 1948. Their marriage lasted 72 years until Janet passed away in August of 2020.

Family was first for Ed. He was always there to coach his children’s sports teams, take them ice skating or sledding, help with Boy Scouts, and take them camping and traveling around the U.S. He continued to do the same for his grandchildren. Ed was also there to help on any home project. He and Janet built their own home in Irvington from the ground up. They then moved to a condo and eventually an assisted living.

Ed was born during the Flu Pandemic in 1918 and lived through the current COVID Pandemic. He is the strongest person we know to have faced so many adversities and to face them with acceptance and without complaint, while being compassionate, kind, and gentle.

Ed was preceded in death by his wife, Janet and son, James as well as his mother and two sisters. He is survived by son, John (Nancy) Guthrie of Chillicothe, MO, daughter, Peggy (Paul) Murphy and daughter-in-law, Karen Guthrie. He is also survived by his six grandchildren, Kristina (Adam) Staebell, Kara (Alan) Winkelbauer, Talia (Jeff) Swanson), Aaron (Rachel) Maurice, Rachel (Brett) Romeiser, Ryan Guthrie, 11 great-grandchildren and his brother, Chuck (Norma) Guthrie.

He will be missed tremendously.