Edwin W. Earl, 79, of Grawn passed away on February 27, 2019 at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City after a long battle with heart disease. Edwin was born on September 13, 1939 to Gladys Fae (Poland) and Harley M. Earl in Durand, MI. After the death of Edwin’s father in 1949 the family moved to their cottage on Duck Lake, then subsequently resided on 6th street in Traverse City.
Edwin graduated from Traverse City Central High School in 1956, attended Northwestern Michigan College for two years and then Michigan State. In May of 1996 Edwin married his loving wife Loretta (Lori) Lovell, daughter of Katherine M. (Woog) and Thomas J. Lovell, Sr. Edwin’s career started in 1960-1965 on the Ludington Car Ferries with two years in the Peace Corp. While working for the Ludington Car Ferries he was invited to train for the Peace Corps which resulted in a two-year appointment (1963-1965) in North Santander, Colombia as part of Colombia VII in the Rural Agricultural Community Development in the Andes Mountains.
After Edwin’s return from the Peace Corps he returned to Ludington, MI and continued his Maritime career with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Car Ferries. With the down turn of Lake Michigan car ferry freight apparent he switched his Maritime employment to Great Lakes vessels and some salt water vessels from 1966-1973. During this period, he attended Master Mates and Pilots training in Toledo, Ohio and was awarded his 1st Class Pilots license, unlimited tonnage.
At that time when he had the best job on the boat in April of 1973 he was invited to train for the United States Border Patrol. Upon completion of training at the Border Patrol Academy in Los Fresnos, Texas, he was assigned to Yuma, AZ with 102nd Class of Border Patrol in July, 1973 as a Border Patrol Agent. In July, 1979 he was promoted and transferred to the Detroit Station of U.S. Border Patrol as Agent in Charge.
Eventually he was promoted to Deputy Chief and Chief of the Detroit Sector in charge of all Border Patrol operations in the states of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. In 1996 Edwin retired and returned home to Duck Lake in Green Lake Township. Edwin was a Charter member of the Interlochen Eagles, F.O.E. 3503 and a life member of the Traverse City Elks B.P.O.E.
323. Edwin is survived by his wife Loretta (Lori), sister Janet Hicks of Okemos, brother-in-law, Keith Borgerson of Grawn, in-laws, Charlotte & Ron Koss of Morro Bay, CA, Judith Lovell of Sterling Heights, MI and his beloved nieces and nephews and their children. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Harley W. Earl & his wife (Ruth Kiessel Earl), sister, Mary L. Borgerson and his brother-in-law, Albert Hicks.
Friends are welcome to visit with Edwin’s family from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 3, 2019 at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home, 305 Sixth St., Traverse City, MI 49684. A funeral service honoring Edwin will take place at 11:00 a.m., with visitation at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 4, 2019 at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home. Rev.
Fr. Gregory McCallum will officiate. Please feel free to share your thoughts and memories with Edwin’s family at his tribute page at www.
reynolds-jonkhoff.com. The family is being cared for by the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home Cremation Services.
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