http://www.cooganresearchgroup.com/crg/index.htm 22 June 2011 Obituary of Edmond G. Coogan __________________________________________________________________ (extracted from "Vinyard Gazette" [MA], [24 ?] MAR 2001) Edmond G. Coogan, 57: Was Attorney, Selectman Edmond G. Coogan, 57, Vineyard Haven attorney and chairman of the Tisbury board of selectmen, died on Friday, March 23, at home with his family after a 22-year battle with cancer. He was born in Boston in 1943, the son of the late William H. Jr. and Virginia M. Grimes Coogan, and began spending summers on Martha's Vineyard in 1944 first in the family cottage in Oak Bluffs, and then at the St. Pierre School of Sports in Vineyard Haven. He was graduated from Boston College in 1966 and received a master's degree in public affairs from the State University of New York in Albany in 1968. In 1971, he married the former Liza Dwyer of Pittsfield; they moved to the Vineyard shortly afterwards. Mr. Coogan taught government at the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, then left to become a planner for the Martha's Vineyard Commission. He was elected to the Oak Bluffs board of selectmen, where he, along with a group of visionaries, helped nurture the cultural and economic renaissance of Oak Bluffs. While a selectman, Mr. Coogan commuted to Boston to attend Suffolk University Law School. He received his J.D. and was admitted to the state and federal bars in 1984. In 1985, Ed and Liza moved to Vineyard Haven. He served on the Tisbury board of assessors and the Island school committee. In 1996, he was elected to the Tisbury board of selectmen, on which he served until his death. Mr. Coogan spoke of his cancer as a gift, saying it made him more tolerant of his own and others' foibles. It heightened the pleasure he took in his friendships and, most importantly, it intensified his already fierce focus on his family. Mr. Coogan was a lawyer and avid supporter of the Martha's Vineyard Arena, and enjoyed sailing and gardening. He leaves Liza, the love of his life and his wife of 30 years; his three devoted children, Will Coogan of Los Angeles, Geoghan Coogan of Dorchester and Virginia Nelligan Coogan of Tisbury; his two brothers and sisters in law, William H. Coogan and his wife, Kim, of Portland, Me., and Gregory A. Coogan and his wife, Sharon, of Oak Bluffs; several nieces and nephews, and a huge circle of friends and a community touched by his passion for public service, a community that, in turn, touched him with its beauty and support. The funeral service was held on Monday, March 26, at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown. Donations in his memory may be made to the Edmond G. Coogan Public Service Scholarship Fund, c/o Martha's Vineyard Cooperative Bank, P.O. Box 668, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568. Arrangements were by the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home in Oak Bluffs. For more information and to visit the funeral home's online guest book, go to www.ccgfuneralhome.com. http://www.mvgazette.com/features/obituaries/index.php?name=edmond_coogan __________________________________________________________________ (extracted from "Cape Cod Times" [MA], 25 MAR 2001) EDMOND G. COOGAN, 57 Former Oak Bluffs Selectman, High School Teacher, Planner TISBURY - Edmond G. Coogan, 57, of Vinyard Haven, died Friday at his home after a long battle with cancer. He was the husband of Liza (Dwyer) Coogan. Mr. Coogan was born in Boston. He began spending summers on Martha's Vinyard in 1944, first in the family cottage in Oak Bluffs and then at the St. Pierre School of Sports in Vineyard Haven. He graduated from Boston College in 1966 and earned a master's degree in public affairs from the State University of New York at Albany in 1968. He was married in 1971 and moved to the Vineyard shortly thereafter. Mr. Coogan taught government at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School. He then became a planner for the Martha's Vineyard Commission and was elected to the board of selectmen in Oak Bluffs. During that time he also attended Suffolk University Law School, where he earned his juris doctor degree. He was admitted to the state and federal bars in 1984. In 1985 he moved to Vineyard Haven, where he served on the Tisbury Board of Assessors and the All-Island School Committee. In 1996 he was elected to the Tisbury Board of Selectmen, where he served until his death. Mr. Coogan was an avid supporter of the Martha's Vineyard Arena, and enjoyed sailing and gardening. Surviving besides his wife are two sons, Will Coogan of Los Angeles and Geoghan Coogan of Dorchester a daughter, Virginia Nelligan Coogan of Tisbury two brothers, William H. Coogan of Portland, Maine, and Gregory A. Coogan of Oak Bluffs and several nieces and nephews. A funeral will be held at noon tomorrow in the Whaling Church in Edgartown. Visiting hours are 5 to 8 p.m. today in the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Edgartown Road, Oak Bluffs. Memorial donations may be made to the Edmond G. Coogan Public Service Scholarship Fund, c/o MV Cooperative Bank, P.O. Box 668, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568. http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20010325/OBITS/303259985 __________________________________________________________________ (extracted from "Boston Globe" [MA], 25 MAR 2001) EDMOND G. COOGAN, 57, TISBURY SELECTMAN Edmond G. Coogan of Vineyard Haven, a lawyer and chairman of the Tisbury Board of Selectmen, died Friday at his home after a 22- year battle with cancer. He was 57. Mr. Coogan was a native of Boston. A graduate of Catholic Memorial High School, he received his bachelor's degree from Boston College in 1966. In 1968, Mr. Coogan received his master's degree in public affairs from the State University of New York at Albany. He received his law degree in 1984 from Suffolk University Law School. Mr. Coogan moved to Martha's Vineyard in 1971 and taught government at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School. He... http://news.google.com __________________________________________________________________ (extracted from "Vinyard Gazette" [MA], 30 MAR 2001) ISLAND BIDS FAREWELL TO EDMOND COOGAN By Mark Alan Lovewell The Vineyard community turned out in force at noon on Monday to celebrate the life of Edmond G. Coogan. Friends and family members were pleased by the outpouring of love and sensitivity at his funeral services at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown, and they repeated the thought over and over again. Mr. Coogan, 57, a Vineyard Haven attorney and selectman with as many years of public service to the community as years of residence on the Island, died last Friday at his home. "This past week of Ed's dying was a testament to the love and loyalty of our cherished friends," said Liza Coogan during the afternoon service. "He could listen harder, argue more vehemently, tease more efficiently, laugh more heartily than anyone I ever knew. He could also cry like a baby, but rarely did he cry about his illness. He called his pain discomfort," she said. More than 500 people filled the Edgartown Whaling Church to overflowing. The hall was filled with tears and laughter, as people took their turns before the audience to tell their stories, offering personal memories of the same man. The audience of many was itself a testimony to the man's reach into the community. Bill Coogan, 58, of Portland, Me., spoke first: "Thank you, Martha's Vineyard. Thank you for being Ed's home, Ed's vision, Ed's community." Behind Mr. Coogan were bouquets of freshly picked daffodils. In front of him was the casket of his brother, draped by an American flag and surrounded by more flowers. "Two weeks ago, Ed told me that he thought of the cancer that he had been fighting for 22 years as a gift. The tenuousness of his grip on life made him treasure it. He treasured the Vinyard, He treasured his friends, and most of all, he treasured his family," Bill Coogan said. During the ceremony of more than an hour and a half, there was music. Dan Murphy, the choral director of the regional high school, played the piano to accompany the singing. He performed with Sandra Bitterman's harp. Mary Jacobson sang Ave Maria. Elizabeth Bradley sang Songbird. Ed and Liza Coogan's three children took turns describing the magic of their father's legacy. Will Coogan, 26, an actor in Los Angeles; Geoghan, 25, a second-year law student at Suffolk University, and their sister Virginia Nelligan, a senior at Wesleyan University, spoke movingly of their father. Geoghan recalled a time when he was a senior in high school and didn't want to go to school that morning. He recalled how his father rallied him to get up and get going. While Miss Coogan read an excerpt from a biography she had written about her father, brothers Will and Geoghan stood silently behind her, their arms wrapped around each other. Their mother, Liza, said: "My man was a man for all seasons, but he preferred the warmth of the sun and the lapping of waves against his boat." She said: "Ed believed that talent and genius wear many cloaks, so he pushed and prodded his loved ones, his students and his energetic friends to use their brains and hearts to better the world around us. If he had better health, Ed would have run for higher office, but he always said his family, his little law office and his favorite elderly clients saved him from the rat race and kept him alive." Duncan Ross, a teacher of theatre at the regional high school, recalled memories of Mr. Coogan when he was a teacher of government at the school. "There are volumes of memories from all of the plays we did together and apart." Mr. Ross repeated the words of a Harry Chapin song: "It's got to be the going not the getting there that's good." "I am very glad Eddie never got to be governor, because he played so many roles in his life: a son, a brother, student, teammate, boyfriend, actor, fiancé, husband, father, sailor, navigator, neighbor, planner, politician, best man, cook, gardener, teacher, uncle, brother in law, campaigner, selectman, lawyer, school committee member and a good friend. One of the things that made Ed so special is that he did all of those roles very well." There were many references to the Coogan family's 31-foot gaff-rigged sloop Welwyn, a boat that has been in the family for 24 years. Gerry Sullivan of Boston, a high school teacher and friend of 50 years, talked about their growing up often side by side. Others joining in included Marge Harris and her husband, Jamie. When it came to getting people to volunteer for public office or other duties, Jamie Harris said Mr. Coogan was the best: "That smile and twinkling eye were a giveaway that you were going to be asked to do something. He knew what arm to twist." Mr. Harris said: "I will miss Ed because he was a good friend." Mr. Harris looked to the ceiling of the Whaling Church and observed that Ed was probably up there looking down. He suggested that Ed was out looking for Michael Wild. "The two are looking for green beer, lots of it." With a guitar, Flo Anito sang the song Bobby McGee: "Freedom is another word for nothing left to lose." Peter Fohlin, former executive secretary for the town of Tisbury, said he had worked for many selectmen over the years. He said: "Ed Coogan is the best selectman I have ever known." Mr. Fohlin said that Mr. Coogan had a great gift for bringing people together to solve problems. "When we needed someone to cross over the bridge into Oak Bluffs to solve the tempest of the day, Ed could do it." He said people knew Mr. Coogan by many different names: Ed, Eddie and Pops. "I only knew Ed. I sort of knew Eddie, and only recently did I get to know Pops." Mr. Fohlin recalled how Mr. Coogan was very proud of his three children and what they are doing. One is an actor, another is a politician and the third is in law school. "Ed said: ‘At least one of them has an honest trade.' " Mr. Fohlin turned and looked at the three and then said: "Ed didn't say which one he was referring to. You've got the rest of your lives to kick over who he meant." Joe McCarron, a professor, recalled some sailing adventures he and Jim Lobdell had with Mr. Coogan. Closing his remarks, Mr. McCarron suggested that those who knew Mr. Coogan as a sailor will sense his presence in the years ahead. There will be signs. "When a ray of light breaks through the clouds and makes a bright spot on the water, he will be there." Bill Coogan thanked the audience for coming and invited everyone downstairs for a luncheon. He looked down at the casket before him and said: "Good bye, little brother. You packed a lot into your 57 years. You are the best man I've ever known." Next summer, when the family is able to gather together again, Edmond Coogan's ashes will be spread on the waters between East and West Chop. http://www.mvgazette.com/news/2001/03/30/edmond_g_coogan.php __________________________________________________________________