Edwin Alan Elzy, 69, of Union, died peacefully in his home on November 28, 2020.
Ed was born on April 23, 1951 in Chicago to parents Albert and Lorraine (nee Custer) Elzy. He married Colleen Tennison on September 4, 1976. Ed loved to build things and took great pride in building his and Colleen’s home. He loved to fix up automobiles and could often be found tinkering on his cars and motorcycles. Ed and Colleen took many trips together and with friends exploring new places. He was a volunteer with the Algonquin Fire Department from 1985-1988. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Ed is survived by his beloved wife, Colleen Elzy, his sister, Susan Hernandez, brother-in-law, Justin (Debbie)Tennison, sister-in-laws, Charleen Onstad, Kathleeen Tennison, his nieces and nephews, David (Desa) Lovejoy, Jacob Onstad, Shawn Collier, Tiffany (John) Walker, Lauren (Cam) Hoskins, Alison (Wes) Nelsen, Mary Onstad, and Janayah Protko, and his great nieces and nephews, Jack Walker, Griffin and Harrison Nelsen, Lydia and Avery Nelsen, and Olivia and Nora Lovejoy.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Lorraine Elzy, his half-sister Lynn Billman, and his nephew and godson, Jamie Tennison.
Visitation will be Friday, December 4, 2020 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at DeFiore Funeral Home, 10763 Dundee Road, Huntley, and a graveside service will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2020 at 11 a.m. at Algonquin Cemetery, 1098-1030 Cary Rd, Algonquin, IL 60102
Memorials in Ed’s name can be made to the Algonquin Fire Department or to a local animal shelter of your choice.
A celebration of Ed’s life will be held at a later date when we can all safely gather and celebrate as one.
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So sorry to hear this,I worked with Ed at UIC,really a nice guy,loved hearing him talk about his model A car and all his other projects, God bless him and his family.
The first time I remember Ed was he was cutting grass at his Grandfather's golf course next to Turner Camp. Next time I saw him was riding a Tandem bike with the caretakers son. I stopped them and asked where did he get the bike? He told me he built it! Well since that day we became friends and every weekend would put motors on anything we could. That was fun but, later we started water skiing and Ed, Timmy Z. and I would be on the river every chance we got. As we got old we both started working but would see each other when we could. I stopped at Ed's house years later and he was married and his mother was sick. Ed showed me a call system he made out of a old garage door opener so she could wake them at night. Ed still had that gift and that was one of the things that always impressed me so much. The other was that I never remember Ed saying anything bad about anyone. I will miss you Ed. Roger Pelletier, Santa Fe, TX
I was director of the NMR lab in the RRC and without Ed's knowledge and work I would have shut down several times. He was the one who knew how to find where a compressed air line or electrical switch was located. He pulled my ass out of the fire several times. He wanted to know when maintenance should be done on the support systems that kept my lab going and he got the job done. He prepared rooms for new equipment that the RRC had bought, doing it after hours so no labor union rules were violated. This saved the RRC weeks of waiting to arrange for less qualified employees to install high tech equipment that they did not understand. Ed was a great guy to work around. He was always pleasant and happily answered stupid questions. He looked forward to retirement and the many projects he had planned for his home. I wish that he had had more time to enjoy solving problems and enjoy the countryside. Oak Park has an excellent animal shelter and will receive a contribution in Ed's name. Colleen, I'm very sorry for you and the rest of your family. I missed him when he retired and I miss him more now.