Edgar Milton Emery was born in River Rouge, MI, on March 7, 1928 and died on October 27, 2016 of an apparent heart attack in his home in Houston, TX. “Leftie” would have said that 88 was a good number and that he was lucky to have a great family to carry on. He is survived by his daughter, Donna Ontko (George), and grandchildren Robert and John Ontko, and his son, Richard Emery (Heather), and his grandchildren, Michelle Griffin (Jeremy), and Diana and Richard Emery. He is also survived by his great-grandchildren, Julia, Chloe, and Vivian Griffin.
Edgar was an analytical chemist by degrees (BS from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, MI, and MS from Seton Hall, NJ, via night school). Early in his career he worked at Colgate Palmolive as a GC/MS specialist at the lab in Piscataway, NJ, where he set off to work each day wearing his trademark/signature bow tie. Once leaving his long-time position at Colgate, Edgar did a series of consulting/QA-QC jobs in the Houston area, where he eventually retired.
Edgar’s most challenging job, perhaps, was as the single parent of his two children, having lost his first love and bridge partner, Janet Jamieson Brown Emery, a radiologist and Pocono Manor golfer, when his children were eleven and nine respectively. He served chocolate pop tarts for breakfast and TV dinners for dinner. He passed on his love for baseball and bowling and encouraged his kids to play “can’t see the birdie anymore” badminton and “around-the-world” basketball in the backyard of their home in North Brunswick, NJ. He also packed the family Chevrolet station-wagon every summer and went north to Allen Park, MI, where the trio spent time with their extended family, taking many a hike from the northern cottage across the Mackinaw Bridge.
Edgar grew up Episcopalian in Michigan but joined the Overbrook Presbyterian Church, PA, when he married. He had no official church family in Texas, but was a practicing “Christian” by his very kindnesses shown daily to neighbors and people he would see at H.E.B. or the local post office. He always gave the workers at Cartridge World a hard time but would go out of his way to do all of his inking there. He also regularly took doughnuts to his dentist office claiming “he was just helping them stay in business”. He planned holiday meals around our favorite waitress at the local Luby’s where he always loved the mac n’ cheese, as well as the regular company.
Edgar’s analytical mind followed him into retirement where he tracked the Texas lottery and his own backyard weather station daily. Need to know how his car was doing? He could give you the latest tank-up’s mpg. Roses, spider webs, and neighborhood holiday lights were his favorite photographic targets. He also loved watching Johnnie Carson reruns and recounted often the latest Steve Harvey episodes. Saturday morning was recording and notating “Car Talk” and getting ready for the latest college football games. Most of all, he loved his recorded music, especially Elvis, and, as his hearing got worse, the rest of the neighborhood had to enjoy it as well. He kept alert for a good joke, a clever saying, or a wise story and had a quick and dry wit. His simple smile and strong opinions are already deeply missed.
In March (2017), the month of his birth, his family will celebrate his life, settle his affairs, and visit the local Luby’s in his honor. Some good things live on and on….
Services
Edgar Milton Emery was born in River Rouge, MI, on March 7, 1928 and died on October 27, 2016 of an apparent heart attack in his home in Houston, TX. “Leftie” would have said that 88 was a good number and that he was lucky to have a great family to carry on. He is survived by his daughter, Donna Ontko (George), and grandchildren Robert and John Ontko, and his son, Richard Emery (Heather), and his grandchildren, Michelle Griffin (Jeremy), and Diana and Richard Emery. He is also survived by his great-grandchildren, Julia, Chloe, and Vivian Griffin.
Edgar was an analytical chemist by degrees (BS from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, MI, and MS from Seton Hall, NJ, via night school). Early in his career he worked at Colgate Palmolive as a GC/MS specialist at the lab in Piscataway, NJ, where he set off to work each day wearing his trademark/signature bow tie. Once leaving his long-time position at Colgate, Edgar did a series of consulting/QA-QC jobs in the Houston area, where he eventually retired.
Edgar’s most challenging job, perhaps, was as the single parent of his two children, having lost his first love and bridge partner, Janet Jamieson Brown Emery, a radiologist and Pocono Manor golfer, when his children were eleven and nine respectively. He served chocolate pop tarts for breakfast and TV dinners for dinner. He passed on his love for baseball and bowling and encouraged his kids to play “can’t see the birdie anymore” badminton and “around-the-world” basketball in the backyard of their home in North Brunswick, NJ. He also packed the family Chevrolet station-wagon every summer and went north to Allen Park, MI, where the trio spent time with their extended family, taking many a hike from the northern cottage across the Mackinaw Bridge.
Edgar grew up Episcopalian in Michigan but joined the Overbrook Presbyterian Church, PA, when he married. He had no official church family in Texas, but was a practicing “Christian” by his very kindnesses shown daily to neighbors and people he would see at H.E.B. or the local post office. He always gave the workers at Cartridge World a hard time but would go out of his way to do all of his inking there. He also regularly took doughnuts to his dentist office claiming “he was just helping them stay in business”. He planned holiday meals around our favorite waitress at the local Luby’s where he always loved the mac n’ cheese, as well as the regular company.
Edgar’s analytical mind followed him into retirement where he tracked the Texas lottery and his own backyard weather station daily. Need to know how his car was doing? He could give you the latest tank-up’s mpg. Roses, spider webs, and neighborhood holiday lights were his favorite photographic targets. He also loved watching Johnnie Carson reruns and recounted often the latest Steve Harvey episodes. Saturday morning was recording and notating “Car Talk” and getting ready for the latest college football games. Most of all, he loved his recorded music, especially Elvis, and, as his hearing got worse, the rest of the neighborhood had to enjoy it as well. He kept alert for a good joke, a clever saying, or a wise story and had a quick and dry wit. His simple smile and strong opinions are already deeply missed.
In March (2017), the month of his birth, his family will celebrate his life, settle his affairs, and visit the local Luby’s in his honor. Some good things live on and on….
Guest Book