Edward A. Zahn

Edward A. Zahn, age 86 of Riverdale, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Wednesday, January 29, 2025. Ed was born to Edward and Louise Zahn and grew up in Newark, NJ. He enlisted in the Navy at 17 years old and he was a proud “Navy Man” for the entire duration of his life, which led to a deep love for fishing and the ocean.

Ed retired as the mailroom supervisor for Equitable Insurance in Clark, and had been a Chemical Engineer prior to that for Millmaster Onyx Corporation. He maintained his Black Seal boiler license for many years.

Ed is survived by his wife of fifty years, Victoria Zahn of Riverdale; their daughter: Lisa Marie Cassilli and her husband Richard of Cedar Grove; three beloved grandchildren whom he adored beyond words: Ava Rose, Giovanni and Vincent Cassilli; his sister: Marianne Jones of Ledgewood, NJ and a son: Edward Zahn who resides in Florida. He is also survived by many treasured adopted grandchildren whom affectionately knew him only as “Poppy”.

Ed was devoted to his family and enjoyed traveling the world with the “greatest catch of his life”: his wife Victoria. They checked off each state and country, fulfilling their bucket list with joy. He created incredible videos of these trips and collected baseball hats for his grandchildren to have as permanent keepsakes. When not traveling, Ed enjoyed fishing and going to the racetrack. He taught his daughter how to handicap horses when she was ten years old. Ironically, whenever he returned from the track, he announced that he just “broke even” which is statistically impossible. He loved his son-in-law, Rich, like a son and borrowed every tool he had on a weekly basis.

Ed’s most special moments were spent with his wife and their beloved grandchildren. He never missed a sporting event or a special occasion for them. He watched Ava “Rosie”  and “Johnny Boy” when the Cedar Grove Panthers won the State Championship at Metlife Stadium, which thrilled him due to his love for football. Ed enjoyed watching his buddy “Mr. Vincent” wrestle and laughed at his wild personality. In Ed’s eyes, his grandchildren could do no wrong. He assembled their toys, took them for food they weren’t supposed to eat, and made them beautiful videos of their lives. They will cherish his memory forever. In recent years, he developed a special bond with their dog, Viviana, who considered Poppy her special human and never left his side.