On May 26th my longtime friend and fishing mentor for over 30 years, Ed Cherry, passed away. Ed was well known in fishing circles and obtained a reputation as one of the best fishermen in South Jersey. He could do it all, offshore and inshore fishing, bay fishing, surf fishing, fly fishing; and he was a master of them all.
I first met Ed in 1984. At the time we both just moved into our new homes in Village Harbour in Manahawkin. He approached me one day and said I see you always going out fishing, we need a fishing club here in Village Harbour. He said there is very little information down here about fishing, so we need to form a club and teach fishing to others and learn from others and exchange information with one another. Shortly thereafter, 13 of us met in Ed’s garage and the Village Harbour Fishing Club was born. Ed insisted right from the start the club had to be a teaching club and over the years he guided and nurtured the club to what it is today, a very large active club and a great supporter of JCAA. Even after he was long gone from Village Harbour, Ed always made sure to attend VHFC meetings and advise club members what was going on in fisheries matters.
When I retired Ed got me involved in JCAA. We eventually both became board members and Ed chaired the JCAA striped bass committee and also represented New Jersey on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Atlantic Menhaden Advisory Panel. Ed attended NJ Marine Fishery Council meetings on behalf of JCAA and wrote a number of position papers on behalf of JCAA.
Ed was a man of many talents and one of the most brilliant men I have ever met. He was a dentist, a fisherman, a stamp collector, a fly tier and indulged in several other hobbies he casually made reference to over the years. Anything he did he did with passion. If you told Ed something once, he never forgot it. If he read something once, he never forgot it. His memory was incredible. He knew things where you would wonder why he would even know it.
Ed was a teacher. He taught many of us from the VHFC many things about fishing over the years. Ed taught me how to fish the bay. He taught me how to fly fish for weakfish and bluefish with the fly rod. He taught me how to fish for striped bass in the bay and offshore. He taught me how to surf fish with bait and artificials. We also used to fish together in Florida and he taught me how to fish for trout, redfish and snook. The list goes on and on.
Ed had a saying, “observe a little, learn a lot.” He had keen eyesight and always had his eyes on the water observing. I owe him so much for what he has taught me over the years and I will miss him very much. I’m sure he’s in heaven looking down at us and “observing.”
It was an honor to have known him and to have him as a friend.
Edward W. Cherry was born in Bridgeport, CT on March 12, 1935 to Thomas and Helen Cherry. Ed spent his childhood in Fairfield, CT where he developed his lifelong passion for fishing. Ed moved with his family to Clifton in 1948 and attended high school at St. Peters Prep in Jersey City NJ where he played Varsity Football. Ed later studied at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI where he earned a Bachelor of Science in 1956 and then Fairleigh Dickinson University where he earned a DDS.
At Marquette, he met Marilyn Puetz of Skokie, Illinois and they married in 1959 in Evanston, IL. Ed practiced dentistry in Oak Ridge (Milton), NJ from 1964 until his retirement in 1996. Ed served on the Board of Health for Jefferson Township and was a devoted fan of the Jefferson Township Falcon Football and Track teams for many years. Ed spent his retirement in Manahawkin and then Waretown, NJ as well as winters in Englewood, Florida. During his retirement, he became known as one of the best weakfish fishermen in Barnegat Bay. He was a championship caliber recreational fisherman, winning or placing in numerous fishing tournaments during his retirement. Ed was a multiple honoree of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife Skillful Angler Award Winners. Ed helped form the Village Harbor Fishing Club, was a Board Member of the Jersey Coast Anglers Association, Chairman JCAA striped bass committee, and advised on fishery conservation issues by representing New Jersey on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, Atlantic Menhaden Advisory Panel, amongst others.
Ed is survived by his wife of 55 years, Marilyn and their four sons and wives and children, Christopher and Carolyn Cherry of Chatham, James and Christina Cherry of Hillsborough, Timothy and Elin Cherry of Westfield, and Joseph and Ali Cherry of Metuchen; and 9 grandchildren, Lauren, T.J., Marissa, Madison, Margo, Andrew, Hannah, Jakob, Alex and Clifford Cherry, his brother, of Vero Beach, FL.
A memorial service will be held 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 3, 2015 at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 502 Raritan Ave., Highland Park, NJ 08904. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in memory of Edward Cherry to the Stripers Forever, PO Box 2781, South Portland, ME 04116. Arrangements are by Bridgewater Funeral Home, 707 East Main St., Bridgewater.
