Edmunde “Ed” Henry Leyland Lewin, 85, of Kingston, WA died Wednesday, May 1st after battling mesothelioma. Ed was born January 18, 1934 in Liverpool, England, the third of four children to parents William Lewin and Olive Murial Leyland.

In 1963, Ed married Heather Dorothy Allison in Wallasey, England. After working as an engineer for a few years at the Capenhurst Atomic Energy Lab in England, Ed and Heather decided to join several of Heather’s siblings and emigrated to the USA in 1964. They arrived in New York City and stayed with family as they prepared for their new life. After dragging their in-laws all over town to find the best, cheapest car, Ed and Heather began a fantastic cross-country trip with a unique combination of frugality and scenery. While the car completed the journey, they had a few unexpected stops along the way.

Their cross-country journey covered more than 9,000 miles and countless campgrounds but eventually ended in Seattle, Washington. Ed and Heather settled down and built their life in the northwest. Ed worked for many years as an engineer and provided contract engineering services to Boeing. Ed enjoyed his work and the flexibility that his contractor role provided to continue to travel.

Ed and Heather traveled around the world during their time together until Heather’s death in 2004. Ed continued his road trips after Heather’s passing and remained very active in retirement. He belonged to several organizations including the Eagles, the Mountaineers, the Britannia Club, and The Puget Sound Traditional Jazz Society. Ed loved music and never tired of dancing.

Ed is survived by his sister Margaret Olive Lewin in Cambridge, England, several sister and brothers-in-law, and 14 nieces and nephews around the globe. They are all so deeply saddened to lose one of the best representatives of the family.

A celebration of Ed’s life is planned for Sunday, June 9th at the Village Green Community Center, 26159 Dulay Rd NE, Kingston, Washington from 2-5 pm.