William Edwin Cole Jr.

The Honorable William Edwin Cole Jr. of Lake Worth, Florida, formerly Elkton and Queenstown, Maryland, passed away on December 1, 2021. Ed was the son of the late W. Edwin and Ellen Cole of Queenstown. He was a graduate of Centerville High School and attended the University of Maryland to study horticulture. From an early age, Ed had a love of politics. At age 18, he was granted the honor by former Governor Marvin Mandel to cast the first-round votes for Maryland at the Democratic National Convention. Ed served as the executive assistant to Governor Blair Lee III. In the 1980s, Under Governor Harry Hughes, Ed was appointed to Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Racing Commission. In 1990, he was elected President of the Cecil County Commissioners and served the citizens of Cecil County proudly until 1994. In 2010, Ed was elected to serve as an associate Judge on the Cecil County Orphan's Court. In 2017, he was honored to be appointed to the Cecil County Liquor Board. Ed moved to Florida in 2018 to spend his retirement in the sunshine he loved and away from the snow he hated shoveling. Ed is survived by his children Taylor O' Bryan (Brendan), Madison Reese (Glenn), Alexandra Cole, and Jackson Cole. Brother Lane Cole (Connie), brother-in-law Sonny Dodd (Margaret Ann), and Faye Anderson (Lenny). 2 nieces, 3 nephews, 14 great-nieces & nephews, and 12 great-great nieces & nephews. Ed was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Margaret Ann Dodd. The family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Philip Blatt, Dr. Michael Lankewicz, Dr. Charles Bean, and Dr. John Reinhart for over 30 years of inexhaustible medical care. Without their care and determination, Ed would have never been able to achieve and live the wonderful life he had. A mass of remembrance will be celebrated on Saturday, December 11, at 11:00 a.m. at St. John The Beloved Catholic Church on Milltown Road in Wilmington, DE, by his long-time friend, the Very Reverend Joseph J Piekarski. Interment will be private at the family's request.