Edward '"Ed"' Montesi

Obituary Avid local sailor, Edward Novak Montesi of Fairfield Harbour in New Bern, N.C. died at the age of 84 on March 9, 2018, of congestive heart failure. He was born at the height of the Great Depression in Schenectady, N.Y. the son of first generation Italian, Odo S. Montesi, and Croatian-born mother, Vinka Novak Montesi. Formative childhood years on the south shore of Long Island, N.Y. were nautically oriented, as his family was never far from a beach, harbor or inlet. Ed learned at an early age to swim and row a boat. World War II years intervened, moving the family to the naval shipyard on the Ohio River, where his father was stationed. There, the young 11-year old developed navigation skills with a little rowboat powered by a 1.5 hp motor, riding waves in the wake of passing paddle wheel boats. At the wars end, the family returned to Massapequa, Long Island. While in high school he built his first boat, from a kit, making possible many trips across Great South Bay for teen parties on Gilgo Beach. He was also a life guard at Jones Beach. High school in neighboring Amityville, N.Y. was followed by service in the U.S. Navy on board the aircraft carrier Saipan. At the helm one day, Ed earned the admirals commendation for correctly executing emergency orders that avoided a collision. As an entering freshman at Syracuse University, the swimming and rowing coaches both offered him scholarships. Ed chose rowing on Lake Onondaga, and in 1959, his senior year, his eight - oared boat won the gold at the Pan Am Games. He rowed the five seat, the "power seat." Upon graduation in 1960, he earned his degree in Industrial Design. Designing boats, skiing, and sailing were lifelong passions. After marriage to wife Jane, he first worked for Chris Craft, in Holland, Michigan. The next move was to Barrington, Rhode Island, where he worked and designed for Pearson Yachts. In 1980, he encountered a young couple, Curt and Kathleen Saville, who were planning to row across the Atlantic Ocean. While most people were discouraging and unsupportive of the young couple and their dream, Eds reaction was quite different. "If I were going out there, I would only do it with the best or close to the best equipment and technology available", he noted. He designed a 25 ft long ocean-rowing boat which carried them safely from Morocco to Antigua in 3 months time. Years later, they successfully rowed the same boat across the Pacific. His inventive mind extended beyond boats and boating. He worked at Tupperware, designing several models of kitchenware, still in use today. He then spent 20 years at North Safety Products, in Rhode Island, before retiring. There, Ed developed respirators and safety glasses, which are still used today. During retirement years in New Bern, NC, Ed devoted his time to maintaining the 38- foot Morgan, Tantara, for day-sailing and major trips up the East coast to Maine, always with his enthusiastic sailing-partner-wife. An eager racer, he participated in several annual races on New Berns Neuse River. Sailing, for him, was never simply for leisure. If not actually in a race, hed "race a cloud." Frequent were his commands to a crew member, or to a friend on a nearby boat to, "Watch those wind ribbons and trim your sails!" No detail was overlooked to ensure speed. He was frequently underwater with only a mask and snorkel, cleaning the hull to make the boat "go fast". Conditioned to underwater swimming, Ed could spend long minutes holding his breath wrestling an anchor caught in branch debris or adjusting anchors in shifting sand. Ed was sought after by less experienced sailors to help sail their boats long distances. Roland Hoekman, a new resident to New Berns Fairfield Harbour, relates the time he and Ed were to relocate Rolands boat, by sailing it from Connecticut to New Bern. At that time, he didnt know Ed at all. Here is Rolands memorable account of his adventure with Ed. "Ed and I arrived at the dock in Connecticut, preparing to sail my boat down to its new home in New Bern. I went off on some errand, and left Ed puttering around the boat. I came back to find he had the engine parts all laid out on the dock. What the heck are you doing to my engine?! The engine sounded rough, and we can make it better, Ed replied. After two or three trips to get new parts, Ed put the engine back together. Sounds better now, Ed affirmed. And off we went." "We continued sailing to the south entrance of the Chesapeake Bay, to unfamiliar waters. It was two oclock in the morning, pitch dark. Where would we anchor?! Ed said were going "in". He had me take the helm. He sat hunched over, eyes fixed on a compass on his wrist watch. With a pencil, a chart, and a flashlight clenched in his teeth, he methodically guided Roland to steer this way and that. We should be at Buoy 22, Ed predicted. By God, Buoy 22 popped up! Buoy 19 should be next, over here, he exclaimed. Sure enough, that buoy immediately appeared. He took us all the way into Willoughby Bay, where we safely dropped anchor. Ed designed and built an 8 ft. dinghy for their sailboat Tantara, as well as two kayaks for himself and Jane. Currently, on a table in his den at home, lies his design for the cabin cruiser he had hoped to also build in the garage. Ed Montesi is survived by his wife, Jane, their three children; Debra Hoopes of Laramie, Wyoming, Gregg Montesi of Arlington, Massachusetts, and Suzanne Dolan of Franklin, Massachusetts; a sister, Pauline Fennel of Cambridge, Massachusetts; 10 grandchildren, and 18 great grandchildren. A memorial gathering for family and friends is planned for the sailing season this summer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Christ Episcopal Churchs pipe organ fund: P.O. Box 1246, New Bern, North Carolina 28563. Services You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Edward '"Ed"' Montesi