Edward Paul April passed away on January 12, 2021. Edward was born in Syracuse, New York to Paul J. April and Cora M. April (LeDoux) on November 30, 1932. Edward grew up in Duxbury, Massachusetts and graduated from Duxbury high school in 1951. A few days after his graduation, he joined the Navy where he served 4 years in the submarine corp during the Korean war.  He was attached to the submarine USS Sea Fox with the Pacific Fleet that was stationed at Pearl Harbor. He would later receive several awards like the prized Silver Dolphins award during his time in the Navy.

When Edward was a young boy, he helped his father Paul with his Duxbury logging business in the 1940s, where he obtained his hard work ethic. After the Navy, he was inspired by learning all he could about submarines, Edward went on to graduate from UMASS with a degree in mechanical engineering. One of his first college research projects was to analyze the design of his Dad's lifting boom for his logging business, which proved to be a perfectly efficient design. Edward got his first engineering job at Electric Boat in Groton Ct in the early 1960s and then a few years later, got a federal job at the Naval Underwater Sound lab in New London, where he traveled the world doing award winning work on submarine technology. He was the first person to remotely submerge an unmanned submarine and bring it back up again. In the early 1980s, Edward retired from his federal job and started his own engineering consulting firm, April Engineering Corp, still focusing on submarine technology. Martin, his son, soon joined the corporation a couple years later where they pursued many exciting engineering projects with many different government agencies and numerous commercial companies. Edward obtained two patents for his revolutionary sensor, which did garner distinguished awards. His design work with Mystic Innovations also led to recognition within the pentagon.  Edward April was a fearless innovative engineer known to accomplish the impossible.

Edward was also a loving family man as well as always being a helpful neighbor on River Road in Mystic CT. He ambitiously applied his engineering and logging talents to maintaining his beautiful property on the Mystic river.  Lovingly, he hosted many joyous family gatherings and celebrations on the pond that he himself built. There was nothing that he enjoyed more than to share beautiful moments with his family and friends on the land he so beautifully architected.

Like his mother, Edward enjoyed cooking special crepe style pancakes and could play a mean game of cribbage. He also loved to read, watch football, go boating, observe nature and animals, garden, and always had a funny silly joke to share. There was nothing like a Pop Pop joke or anecdote to make everyone smile.

Edward is survived by his former spouses Roberta April and Kate April; 2 children; Martin April and his wife Sherry of Stonington, Wendy Apgar and her husband Rusty of Marshfield,; 4 grandchildren, Zackary April, Kelsy April, Julie Apgar and Jamie Apgar; 3 Stepchildren, Courtney Poole of Connecticut, Shawn Poole of New Jersey, Ben Taylor and his wife Jen of Connecticut; 3 Step Grandchildren, Connor Poole, Rory Taylor, and Greyson Taylor. Edward is also survived by his siblings - Helen April of Connecticut, Carol Bourque and her husband Ed of Connecticut, Paul April and his wife Mary Lou of Falmouth, Janet Robinson and her husband Fred of Maine, Sue Blehm and her husband Jack of Oklahoma. Edward is predeceased by his companion Shirley Rogers, brother John April and his sister Lorraine Whitehouse.

We shall miss our charming sweet Pop Pop, he made the world a better, more beautiful and joyous place to be.

A private burial service will be held at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bourne Massachusetts, and celebration of Edward's life will be held at a later date in Mystic Connecticut. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) - Financial Assistance, Interest-Free Loans & Scholarship online at https://www.nmcrs.org/

Please visit the website macdonaldfuneralhome.com to leave a message of condolence for the family.