ED

Everyone in Macomb knew Ed Holzwarth. Everyone also respected, admired, liked, and revered him for the way he conducted his life. Last month, “Big Ed” all 6’3″ of him departed my train of life for the final time. He said goodbye to his wife, Sue, his son Mike, two daughters Sue and Sandy, seven grandchildren, two great grandchildren and countless friends he had made and cultivated over the decades during his years in Macomb. Ed was born in 1936 thus leaving us short of his 88th birthday. He was a large man, not just in stature but in deeds. When he entered the room, we knew it. Ed had arrived. We first met when I was teaching and he had just become Fire Chief in Macomb, a position he would hold until retiring in 1991 to, you guessed it, spend more quality time with his grandchildren.

His resume was impressive—Jaycees, Kiwanis, McDonough County Heart Association, YMCA Board of Directors, Boy Scouts, Bomber Boosters, Leatherneck Club. He pretty much did it all. I had the privilege of making him an Honorary Alum of Western in 2000, and he was inducted into the WIU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.  Ed joined the U.S. Army in 1955 serving with distinction. I could go on, but you get my drift. Ed was a community activist in every sense of the word. Yet, this doesn’t really get at the essence of the man. Yes, Ed Holzwarth was a strong leader. He didn’t just join organizations; he led them. He was not just the Fire Chief but a national leader. What really stands out is that he was a man of the people. He absolutely thrived on helping others and simply couldn’t get enough of it. Helping his grandchildren hone their athletic skills was a labor of love for him. He “opened” up the fire house over the Christmas holidays and encouraged families to stop by for a tour. He did things like that. He was a “bingo caller” at city picnics. Who does that? Ed Holzwarth does. 

As a kid from Calhoun County, he played baseball and basketball and excelled at both. He was given a chance to try out for the Washington Senators Major League team but had to pay his own way to tryouts and couldn’t afford the trip as there was work to do in the fields. He became a legend in the Macomb area for his fast pitch and slow pitch exploits. He loved the St. Louis Cardinals and attended games every year with as many family members as he could take along. I had lunch with his daughters Sue and Sandy last week and when asked to define their dad, they smiled, and with tears in their eyes said, “He was just a big kid who would do anything for anybody.”  Grandpa took the kids down water slides in the Wisconsin Dells and dislocated his shoulder riding a minibike that was just not capable of handling a man of his size. However, he did it anyway because it was with his grandkids.

As I got to know Ed over the years, it was apparent that he was a true servant leader, a nutritious person with a beautiful spirit.  And here’s where the Holzwarth story becomes special. It was not just the job as chief or role of father, or Little League, or softball coach. It was about the things he did that really went beyond what would be expected of any of us. He never let a woman open a door for herself. He was the consummate gentleman and friend to anyone who needed encouragement or a warm smile. Ed was THE volunteer hospice guy at McDonough District Hospital and was always there to help others during their final darkest hours. He drove forty miles to Hamilton, IL, to visit an elderly house-bound woman, forty miles each way, week after week. On Halloween one year, he dressed up as Raggedy Ann. Can you visualize this 250-pound, 6’3′ doll prancing around local nursing homes. But he did it! The sick and disabled loved it. He once installed a window air conditioner for a hospice client. That’s Ed–always giving to others, expecting nothing in return except knowing he was doing the right thing.  The world is full of “givers” and “takers” and Ed Holzwarth is the former in every way.  

I have my own Ed Holzwarth story—of course I do!  In 1979 I had just gotten the alumni job the year before and I was trying to finish up my doctoral dissertation. Professionally, this meant everything to me as it was all that stood between me and a Ph.D. One night in November 1979 our phone rang at 4 a.m.; it was Ed. “Gordy, the Alumni House is on fire, you better get over here.” I was there in five minutes and Chief Holzwarth inquired, “Anything important upstairs?” I about had a heart attack as the only copy of my unfinished dissertation was upstairs. After the fire was brought under control, Ed allowed a public safety officer to escort me inside. Here’s where it gets funny. As the officer and I got upstairs, I was feverously throwing papers in boxes when the officer felt the need to get on his intercom and say, “I’m upstairs at the Alumni House with Director Taylor retrieving important alumni records.” I stopped in my tracks in a smokey room and exclaimed, “Alumni records be damned, I’m getting my dissertation out of here.” Close call for Gordy plus the Alumni House was saved.

There is just a bit more to my “fire story.” After Ed retired, his successor was the capable and dedicated Don Bytner who clearly had big shoes to fill. In August 2000, Damone’s, a fine dining establishment where Diane and I spent many memorable evenings, burned to the ground. In December of that year, the Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, of which I was advisor also burned to the ground. When we awarded Ed the Honorary Alumni Award at our annual Evening with the President and Mayor community event, Don Bytner was in attendance. From the podium, in good jest, I announced, “Between you two, the Alumni House, Damone’s, and the Delta Sig house all had extremely serious fires.” Ed and Don didn’t miss a beat and together proclaimed, “And the only common denominator between those three fires is you and we’re watching.” It brought down the house—humor in a small town amongst friends and colleagues.

As the years passed and Ed began to have serious health issues, he still attended as many community and athletic events as possible. He was particularly fond of WIU Leatherneck basketball, both men and women. Ed would attend every home game with Sue and his daughters at his side. After the game, win or lose, the women basketball players would ALL come over and give Ed a hug, and he both loved and appreciated it. Then, at some point, the men began to do the same thing. Incredible to watch. 

When the end finally came on July 8, 2024, a pall fell over the whole community. As was said when Abraham Lincoln died, “now he belongs to the ages.” An iconic figure to be sure has left us, all of us.  At his funeral, Women’s Coach J.D. Gravina brought his entire team. As J.D. tells it, “They didn’t have to come, they wanted to” and so they did.  It was a wonderful moment of true love and appreciation. 

So that’s my story of my good friend Ed; a man who made us all better for having walked among us.  Ed Holzwarth, a man of faith and good cheer who knew how to make a difference and did just that. Our community salutes you.