Edward Joseph Friery, Jr

Ed passed away peacefully at his home on November 2, 2025 at the age of 80, after a year-long battle with cancer and dementia. Ed was born August 21, 1945 to Edward Joseph and Dorothy Cunningham Friery in Schenectady, NY. He spent most of his childhood in Rotterdam, NY. He had one younger brother, Jon Friery.

Ed and his brother spent many summers swimming at the community pool and staying at their grandpa’s cabin at Saratoga Lake. They enjoyed fishing and swimming with their cousins. Ed graduated from Mohonasen High School in 1963 located in Rotterdam, NY. He graduated from Hudson Valley Community College with an associate degree in mechanical technology in 1965.

Afterward, Ed and some of his friends decided to attend Utah State University in Logan, Utah. He graduated from Utah State University with a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering in 1969.

While he was studying in Logan, he met Cathy Willoughby and it was love at first sight. He proposed to her on their second date and they were married eight months later on August 5, 1967. Their twin daughters Julie and Judy were born while living in Logan. The summer before he graduated, Ed worked for IBM in Endicott, NY. After he graduated, he accepted a position with IBM in Boulder, Colorado. After moving to Boulder, their third daughter Michelle (Shelly) was born. They built two homes in the Sugarloaf Mountains west of Boulder. They loved Colorado and were so thankful to have had the opportunity to live in such a family-oriented community.

Much of their time was spent skiing, sled riding, camping, fishing, taking family vacations, horseback riding, and spending weekends with wonderful friends and family. Ed rarely spent the weekends away from his family, but on one occasion he and his friends left for a month and rode their dirt bikes roundtrip from Colorado to Alaska. Ed and Cathy spent many years in the fall and spring coaching their daughters’ soccer teams. Ed really enjoyed taking visitors to the “High Country”. It was always an adventure and usually ended in laughter after everyone returned home safely. He always felt that his biggest accomplishment was spending time with his family and making sure they got to experience many different forms of entertainment including eating at some of the nicest restaurants in Boulder and the surrounding areas. They always felt these were the best years of their lives.

In 1981, Ed was transferred to IBM in Tucson, Arizona. They lived there almost for almost a year before he decided to take a position with Iomega in Roy, Utah. They moved to Coalville, Utah in 1982 and lived there to the present. Ed left Utah for four years and worked for Micropolis in California. He returned to Coalville, and worked for Autoliv in Roy and then transferred to Tremonton, Utah.

He traveled the world extensively during his career and received many patents for his inventions with the companies he worked for.

While in Utah, Ed added a few new hobbies including boating (and he did love his boat), water skiing, riding his motorcycle, and canoeing in addition to skiing, hunting and camping. He loved spending time with his family, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

After his retirement, Ed worked part-time for Home Depot. He and Cathy decided to travel during their retirement, and were successful in visiting nearly every state in the USA.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and all of his in-laws. Ed is survived by his wife Cathy of 58 years, daughters Julie (Mark), Judy, and Shelly (Travis), his brother Jon, nine grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren.

We send our sincere thanks to Dr. Pellatt and the Oncology staff at LDS Hospital, Park City Hospital and the Infusion Center staff at Park City Hospital, Dr. Wain Allen, Audrey and Steve and the IHC Hospice Staff for all of their kindness and care.

We will have a Celebration of Life at a later date.

You were the best ever!!! Thanks for being there for us and spending so much time with us. We love you and will miss you so much!