Edward Eugene Wasiura's Obituary
Edward Eugene Wasiura, 74, passed away peacefully on December 24, 2024, just over one month after being diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma brain tumor. He will be remembered for his unique sense of humor, his dedication to family, and his inability to refuse requests of help from those in need.
Edward was born on May 3, 1950, to parents Mieczslaw (Mitchell) Wasiura and Lucille Forsythe. He developed his talent for sarcasm in part by testing it on his younger sister, Lisa Suzanne (Harrison, b. 1955). A 1968 graduate of Muskegon Heights High School, Edward played varsity basketball at a time when the Tigers were among the top Class A programs in the state. Well into his 40s, he would dominate 2-on-2 half-court games against a group of future college athletes. (So what if his competition was still only in the 9th grade?)
Around the time Edward was finishing high school, his mother was diagnosed with cancer. Edward remained close to home, making the national meet as a cross-country runner at Muskegon Community College before graduating from Western Michigan University in 1972. In continuation of a family tradition, he briefly worked as a teacher before moving on to other things — in his case, joining his father at Keene Lumber until he had saved up enough money to pay for law school.
Edward was a man of faith and as a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints he worked hard to live his life in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ. He graduated with a J.D. from Brigham Young University in 1979, moved back to Muskegon, and soon found himself in a partnership with veteran attorney Harry J. Knudsen. Over the next four and a half decades, Edward remained a mainstay of the Muskegon County legal scene, teaming up with Chris Houghtaling and Chad Catalino and continuing to work up until November of this year, when his long-time secretary, Jamie Hall, alerted Edward’s wife to the fact that he had begun falling asleep at his desk.
Edward married Catherine Rose Goodwin on July 18, 1981. They are the parents of two children, Michael Edward Wasiura (b. 1982) and Steven Mark Wasiura (b. 1985). Plans for a third were changed after Edward came down with Guillain-Barré syndrome in 1988. The disease left him paralyzed for several months, and long before the technique was portrayed in a widely-acclaimed French film (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, 2007), Edward communicated with Catherine by blinking his eyes as she ran her finger along a placard displaying the alphabet — spelling out sentences one letter at a time.
Edward made a full recovery from that illness, going on to collude with his legal colleague, the Hon. William C. Marietti, to serve together as little league baseball coaches in order to get their sons on the same team. Along with head coach Dan Gray, they spent every fair weather weekend at the field — throwing batting practice and hitting ground balls. On the second Sunday of May, Edward would explain to skeptical parents (his wife included) that Mother’s Day officially ended at 2 p.m. After that, it was time for baseball.
Edward’s younger son showed him the country. Steven never grew out of his childhood fascination with trains, and Edward and Catherine supported Steven in his goal to ride every single mile of rail covered by the Amtrak system. Steven succeeded, and a June 2000 front-page write-up of the feat in the Muskegon Chronicle ran above an article headlined “Asssad’s son named heir apparent in Syria.” Edward accompanied Steven to China — on several occasions — in order to photograph the steam locomotives that remained in regular service there into the early 2000s. In 2009, they traveled to Durango, Colorado for Steven’s wedding to Amy Tietz, an occasion marked by a group trip on the Durango and Silverton. When first grandson Jonah Edward was born in the Upper Peninsula in 2014, Ed made the 8-hour drive up from Muskegon nearly every weekend for two years to see him. When Jonah knew Grandpa (pronounced “Bada” by the one-year old) was getting close, he would exhibit patience not typical of toddlers, standing in front of the window and watching for a certain blue truck to turn the corner before shouting “Bada! Badaaa!!!” while running to the door as soon as Ed was in the driveway. After work opportunities took Steven, Amy, and family to Alaska, Ed made multiple trips there as well to visit Jonah, and eventually first granddaughter Eleanor Rose (b. 2019).
Edward’s eldest son showed him more of the world. Edward and Catherine visited Michael in Ukraine in 2007 when the latter was serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer. After Michael’s marriage to Nina Gorbenko, Edward and Catherine made several trips to Moscow to see their second grandson, Lev Michaelovich (b. 2014). In 2019, five-year-old Lev took his grandfather on a tour of the Russian capital, guiding him through the public transit system, translating as needed, and ordering lunch for the pair at a Soviet-themed pierogi place. In the spring of 2023, Edward traveled with Lev, Nina, and Michael to Mchy, Poland, the site of Mieczslaw’s birth. There he met Adam Wosiura, the grandson of the older brother who Edward’s father likely never knew had been left behind when the rest of the family set off for America in the 1920s.
There are 1000 more meaningful little moments that cannot be made to fit into this format. Edward claimed not to like cats, but he spent the last seven years of his life caring for Kisa (and for Duchess and Knox before that). He represented Muskegon area kids involved in abuse and neglect cases until the end of his working days. He kept small bills in his car to hand out to people standing in the median at red lights holding “anything helps” signs. Once, when Michael was buying wine at Meijer’s, the cashier checking his driver’s license asked, “are you Ed’s son? Your dad really helped me out when I was in trouble.” On a winter night in Chicago, Ed and family were eating dinner while waiting for a train at Union Station; a man worked his way up the row of tables asking for spare change to buy a ticket out to a suburban shelter, striking out until he reached Ed, who chatted with him for a minute before sending him on his way with a couple slices of pizza and more than enough cash for the fare.
Before Edward became a doting grandfather to Jonah, Lev, Eleanor and Savannah Grace (b. 2021), he was a doting husband, father, and uncle. He never stopped hugging his children, and he never stopped telling them he loved them. On at least one occasion, he explained that he did this at least in part because he did not have the same kind of relationship with his own deeply caring, emotionally inexpressive father. Two or three years before Mieczslaw’s death in 2004, however, a collection of relatives was over at the yellow house on Mills Avenue. Two young nephews from different sides of the family were discussing their ties to “Eddie” when Mieczslaw spoke up: “Do you know who Eddie is? Eddie is my little boy.”
Edward Eugene Wasiura is survived by Catherine, Michael, Steven, Nina, Amy, Jonah, Lev, Eleanor, Savannah, and sister Lisa.
As per his wishes, Edward’s body will be donated to the University of Michigan medical system. No services will be held. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice, or simply go out and do something enjoyable with those you love. Written memories can be shared on Edward’s tribute wall via Sytsema Funeral Home. Anyone who would like to share a personal memory can contact Michael Wasiura at 231-206-3563, or at michael.wasiura@gmail.com. Arrangements by The Lee Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 6291 Harvey St., Norton Shores, MI 49444.
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