Edward Dowling


Date of birth: //
Date of death: 03/27/2011
Visitation Hours: 2-4 & 7-9 pm Tuesday at Fiore Funeral Home, 236 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst
Service Time: Funeral Mass 10 am Wednesday at St. Jerome\'s Church, West Long Branch
Cemetery: Woodbine Cemetery, Oceanport
Funeral Home: Oakhurst
Edward R. Dowling, Sr. died on Sunday, March 27, 2011. He was 80 years old, born October 12, 1930 in Newark, NJ to Henrietta and Edward Dowling. His wife of 52 years, Margaret Armstrong Dowling died five years ago this weekend on March 26, 2006. He had two sisters, Mabel Brenner and Joan Wilson who predeceased him, as did both their husbands, Bernard and Thomas.
Ed was a local businessman who at one time owned three insurance agencies in New Jersey. The main office in West Long Branch and another in Neptune remain in operation, the third in Freehold closed several years ago.
The Edward R. Dowling Insurance Agency is currently run by his son, Edward R. Dowling, Jr.. Ed, Sr. opened the business in West Long Branch in 1958 and ran it with his wife for more than 40 years. He was an active member of the community as a communicant of St. Jerome's R. C. Church in West Long Branch, a member of the Knights of Columbus in Long Branch, board member and past president of the New Jersey Brokers Association, founding member and member of the board of New Jersey Windmap, and a member of the Independent Agents Association.
Ed spent his early childhood in Newark but moved to the Jersey Shore with his family in the 1930s. He spent most of his youth in Keansburg, attended St. Ann's grammar school and graduated from Leonardo High School in 1949. As a young man he worked the wheels on the Keansburg boardwalk. He often spoke of his fondness for Keansburg, the boardwalk and the many friends and memories he had of growing up there. After graduating high school Ed was drafted into the United States Army, served overseas in Germany, and was honorably discharged in 1959.
Ed married his high school sweetheart Marge following his active duty military service on February 6, 1954, at St. Ann's R. C. Church in Keansburg.
He began his career in insurance with State Farm Insurance as a salesman, graduating with the first class of agents that State Farm trained in New Jersey in the 1950s, and opened his first office for them in West Long Branch before starting his own business as an independent broker.
As his business grew, so did his family and they eventually moved to Oakhurst in 1963. Ed and Marge raised five children: Linda Dowling Almeida of Clifton, NJ, Patricia Ryan of Clarksburg, NJ, Teresa Dickson of Franklin, VA, Ed, Jr. of Allenhurst, NJ, and Kathleen Hollahan of Chanhassen, MN. In addition Ed is survived by his sons and daughter in law, Edward Almeida, Stephen P. Ryan, Paul Dickson, Marianne Dowling and Kevin Hollahan, and nine grandchildren, Cionna, Devin, and Eamon Almeida, Margaret and Caitlin Ryan, Kathryn Dowling, and Kevin, Edward, and Margaret Hollahan. He is also survived by the many nieces and nephews of his sisters as well as his wife's brother, Jack Armstrong and his wife Linda of Binghamton, NY, their children and grandchildren.
For the last three years Ed has been living in the Brandywine Reflections senior home in Colts Neck, NJ.
Funeral services will be handled by Fiore Funeral Home, 236 Monmouth Road in Oakhurst, NJ. Visitation will be on Tuesday, March 29 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. and from 7:00-9:00 p.m.. Funeral is scheduled for Wednesday, March 30, 2011 and begins at 9:00 a.m. at Fiore Funeral Home and Mass of Christian Burial follows at 10:00 a.m. at St. Jerome's Church, West Long Branch, NJ. Interment is at Woodbine Cemetery. Contact firorefuneralhomes.com for details.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be sent to the Thomas Peterpaul Foundation, www.thomaspeterpaul.com or 1 Cleveland Place Springfield, NJ 07081.