Edward P. Gartland, Jr.

Edward P. Gartland, Jr. passed away peacefully on May 7th, 2019 with his loving family at his side. He was born on December 20, 1939 in New York City, NY, the son of Edward P. Gartland, Sr. and Helen Leonard Gartland. Educated by nuns and brothers in all catholic schools, he graduated with honors from Chaminade High School. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1962, beginning a 27 year military career, serving his country with honor and distinction. During his civilian service he was employed by the USPS from 1970 to 1972, by the FAA as an Air Traffic Controller, from 1972 to 1981, and ultimately by the NSA as a Thai/Lao/German linguist, and as a Senior Intelligence Analyst until his retirement in 1995. Retirement held no excitement for him so he decided to work for Fred Smith, which gave him opportunities to travel around the world sharing the cockpit with the FEDEX crew. He left FEDEX IN 2001 to start his own travel agency, Rainbow Cruises, that provided him much joy and satisfaction. Ed had an unquenchable desire for knowledge and acquired various degrees attending many institutions of learning. Among them were Howard Payne College, Texas, Daniel Webster College, NH, USMC Command & Staff College, VA, and US Air War College, Germany. His military as well as his civilian service provided him the opportunity to live in the Philippines Islands, Panama, Thailand and Germany, enjoying the local cultures and customs. Ed’s hobbies were reading, collecting model trains, flying, traveling and square dancing with the Wolf Rocker Square Dance Club and volunteering with the Granite State Ambassadors. He loved all animals great and small. He was a pilot, flight instructor and the flight examiner for Panama during the time he lived there, as well as a member of the Royal Thai Air Force during the years he spent living in Thailand. He is survived by his wife Hannelore; three sisters and spouses, Virginia D’Esposito and Michael Paduano, Jean and James Scharf, Sr., and Patricia Kelly; many nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Monday, May 13th at 10:30am in St. Patrick’s Church, 34 Amherst Street, Milford, NH. Burial with military honors will be held on Tuesday, May 14th at 2:00 pm in the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery, 110 D.W. Highway, Boscawen, NH. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation online at www.mcsf.org, the Humane Society for Greater Nashua, 24 Ferry Road, Nashua, NH 03064 or Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire, 545 Route 101, Bedford, NH 03110.