Edward David Starkey (1942-2022)

Ed died on December 15th at Palomar Hospital, Escondido from complications of Parkinson's disease. He was 80 years old and had lived with the disease for almost 20 years. As his symptoms worsened, he rarely complained, nor did he lose his sense of humor. He was an inspiration to all, family, friends, and caregivers alike.

Ed was born in Oswego, New York to Edward and Eileen (Heaney) Starkey. He grew up there and in Albany, along with his sister, Nancy. He spent a part of many summer vacations with his dad, an officer in the United States Merchant Marine, on ships and tugboats. Although Ed was never in the military, this experience inspired a lot of respect in him for sailors in general. After graduating from Vincentian Institute in 1960, he joined the Congregation of Holy Cross and studied at Stonehill College (MA), where he obtained a BA in Philosophy, and at The Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. After deciding to leave the congregation, he returned to Albany, where he enrolled in a Master's of English program at the State University of New York. There, in a class on Milton's "Paradise Lost," he met Paulette Schaller, a visiting student from France. They fell in love and were married two years later, eventually raising two children together.

Ed earned master's degrees in English literature (1968), library science (1976), and theology (1982) from SUNY, University of Kentucky, and University of Dayton, respectively. He taught English at Voorheesville High School (NY) and Lees College (KY) and worked as a librarian at Urbana College (OH), University of Dayton (OH), and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. He finally accepted a position at the University of San Diego, where he was University Librarian for 23 years. As a firm believer in Catholic higher education, this was Ed's dream job. At USD, he led the automation of Copley Library, served on the President's Advisory Council, and participated in the creation of the San Diego Circuit and the Catholic Research Resources Alliance, library consortia which allow researchers to access information resources across participating institutions. Ed also supported religious ecumenism, serving as president of the Ecumenical Council of San Diego for two years.

Ed enjoyed swimming, music, and servicing his own car when cars were not yet controlled by computers. He particularly enjoyed outdoor activities with his family, and reading literature, history, and theology. He was a devoted family man, loyal friend, and good Catholic. He is survived by his wife, Paulette; son, Brendan; daughter, Eliane; and son-in-law, Skot.

A funeral mass will be held Thursday, January 5, 2023, 10:30 a.m., at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 13541 Stoney Creek Rd., San Diego, CA 92129, and will be livestreamed on the internet at https://youtu.be/xGqT6grc98w . A reception will follow at the family home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, P.O. Box 4777, New York, NY, https://www.michaeljfox.org .