Edward (Ed) Julius Jankowsky, age 97, passed away peacefully on March 23, 2020, with his wife and daughter by his side.
Born October 30, 1922 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ed spent most of his childhood in what he often referred to as his ‘beloved New Jersey’, growing up in the community of Laurel Springs. After many moves during the Depression Era, Ed became a proud graduate of Haddon Heights High School.
After graduation, Ed attended college. In the fall of 1942, he left college to enlist in the Army Air Corps. After training, Ed was assigned as a navigator to serve on the B-17 and flew 33 missions over Germany, including the D-Day Invasion. After completing his last mission on September 11, 1944, Ed was honorably discharged from the Army Air Corps on October 30, 1945, with the rank of 1st Lieutenant. He then went on to serve ten years in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. For his service, Edward was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, The Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, The American Campaign Medal, The European Campaign Medal and the Victory Medal. Though he rarely spoke about his time in the military, his family is very proud of all that Ed did for his country during WWII.

Once he completed his military service, Ed returned to college under the GI bill and earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Gettysburg College. He spent the next 33 years working for the Department of the Navy, retiring in 1985. Ed was an expert on corrosion control and hydrogen embrittlement, and had many publications related to these subjects. During his career with the Department of Navy, Ed travelled extensively to Navy bases throughout the country to test the performance of corrosion protectants on planes housed on various aircraft carriers when exposed to the elements. He enjoyed his work immensely, and made many lifelong friends while working at the base.

It was also during his employment with the Department of the Navy that Ed met the love of his life, Joan who also worked as a chemist for the Department of the Navy.
Outside of work, Ed was an avid fisherman, duck hunter, and general outdoorsman. He spent many hours tying flies, painting decoys, and working on his duck hunting boat. He travelled extensively on a number fly fishing adventures, including trips to Alaska, Colorado, Montana, Labrador, New York and New Jersey, and even fulfilled his lifelong dream at age 86 by fly fishing in New Zealand.
In addition to his hobbies, Ed loved spending time with his family and friends. He enjoyed going out to dinner, going to the movies, attending theater performances, reading, listening to big band and jazz music, and sharing stories and laughs with all. He had such a kind and humble way about him it was easy to see why everyone who met him became instant “Eddie J” fans.
Edward is survived by his loving wife of 51 years, Joan Jankowsky (Gionnoscoli), his daughters Joanna Jankowsky (Andy Groves), and Jean Laino (Dane), and his granddaughters, Gianna and Allison Laino. All of them will miss him terribly. He was preceded in death by his parents, Louisa Jankowsky (Gouallier) and Julius Jankowsky.
Due to the current CDC Guidelines concerning the Covid-19 pandemic, services to celebrate Ed’s life will be postponed until a later date. The family will keep everyone abreast of the timeline as soon as they are able to set a date.