Edmund J. Tooher

Edmund Jeffrey Tooher passed peacefully at home Friday, December 20, 2024, in the
loving care of his wife and daughters.
Born August 3, 1946, in Providence, Rhode Island, Edmund was the youngest of five
children. He attended Classical High School and was an outstanding athlete, excelling in
football and track. Edmund attended college at the University of Rhode Island where he
received a commission through the Army ROTC program and earned a bachelor’s degree in
Sociology. He later completed a master’s degree in education from USM. Ed was a member
of Sigma Nu fraternity. It was at a Sigma Nu event at Tufts that Edmund met the woman he
would love his whole life, Patricia Bridges of Kittery Point, Maine.
In 1969 Ed’s army career took him to Berlin, Germany as a member of the 287th Military
Police Company. He spent two years in Berlin serving as Platoon Leader, Confinement
Officer and Special Operations Officer for the Berlin Brigade Provost Marshall office. Upon
release from active duty, Ed completed his military career in the Army Reserves, holding
several supervisory positions, including Battalion Commander, and retiring as a Lieutenant
Colonel.
Ed retired from a twenty year career with the State of Maine Department of Corrections
where he served as Director of Juvenile Probation. After retirement, Ed and Trish operated
retail shoppes in Ogunquit for twenty-three years.
Ed was warm and easy-going. He enjoyed connecting with people and hearing their stories.
He never held back his feelings, and his wife, daughters, and granddaughters always knew
how much he loved them. Ed was also a lifelong animal lover. He provided unconditional
love and a forever family for the many dogs he adopted: Tana, Puppy, Lemont, Keno, Lily,
Boo, Lucy, Bella, Tonka, Peppy and Zoey. Their companionship greatly enriched his life.
Edmund was predeceased by his parents Muriel (Bourne) and William Tooher, his bothers
Bill, Paul, and Richard Tooher and his sister Jean Belucci.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Patricia, his daughter Nancy Tooher and her partner
Kostas, his daughter Elizabeth Blanchard and her husband Eric, and three granddaughters,
Matia, Logan and Edie.
Edmund’s family is deeply grateful for the caregivers that helped make it possible for him
to remain at home: Jill Larson and the compassionate team at the Gathering Place in Kittery
including Jeanne, Scarlett, Richard, Mia, and Candy; everyone at Beacon Hospice, especially
Pam, Amy, Patty, Julie, and Kim; and Bill and Bob, Ed’s personal caretakers who were
exceptionally dedicated, helpful and kind to Ed and his family during his last few years.

A celebration of Edmund’s life will be held at Jonathan’s in Ogunquit on Saturday, January
18, 2025 from 1-3:30. The family welcomes tribute gifts in Ed’s honor to Animal Welfare
Society, West Kennebunk, or any animal welfare organization.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Edmund J. Tooher, please visit our floral store.