Beloved father, grandfather, and best friend to many, Edward H. Erspamer, 89, passed away on July 9, 2007, in Mesa, Ariz. after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was born on April 28, 1918, in Hurley, and married to the former Alice Peterson of Montreal for 56 years. Ed grew up in Hurley, received a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, went to officer training school with the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, and served as a Captain in the Pacific Theater of Operations. He then went on to serve his country again during the Berlin Crisis as Captain of Hurley Company D, 32nd Infantry Division, 724th Engineering Battalion, Wisconsin National Guard. He was promoted to Major before finishing his military career. As a civilian, Ed owned Paul's Store in Hurley with his father and brothers before moving to Arizona in 1977 and overseeing bookstores for the Maricopa Community Colleges. In his later life, he retired and raised his youngest child Maria and spent countless hours with his grandchildren, Alyssa and Brett, of Tempe, Ariz. Ed loved to golf and was integral in the establishment of Eagle Bluff Golf Club in Hurley. He was also a longtime member of Hurley American Legion Post 58 and Iron County Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1580. Civically minded, Ed and his National Guard unit would spend downtime building roads across Hurley. Although an Arizona resident for 30 years, his heart was always in Wisconsin, and he enjoyed tales of Hurley, its people, and its lore. Ed's spirit lives on in all who knew him. He lived a life marked by integrity, generosity, and a love for family. His family intends to carry on in this spirit, and they hope you'll join them to celebrate Ed's life well lived. Ed is survived by his wife, Alice; son Rex and his wife Kathy; son Kurt; son Gerald, his wife Anita and grandchildren, Alyssa and Brett; daughter Maria, her partner Doug, and his daughters; one brother, Theodore, and his family; as well as his sister-in-law, Claire Erspamer, and her family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Leno and Ethel Erspamer, brothers, Emmet and Joseph, of Hurley, and sister, Marie Greg, of Elgin, Ill. Cremation has taken place. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, Sept. 15, at 11 a.m., at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hurley, with the Rev. Michael Hayden, celebrant. Rite of Committal and inurnment will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery, Hurley, where full military rites will be accorded by the combined Hurley American Legion Post 58 and Iron Co. VFW Post 1580 Honor Guard. Luncheon will be served in the parish hall immediately upon return from the cemetery. Relatives and friends may call at the church from 10 a.m. until Mass time on Saturday, Sept. 15. To view Ed's obituary online, sign the guestbook, and express condolences, visit mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are with McKevitt-Patrick and Engstrom Funeral and Cremation Services of Ironwood and Hurley.