Edward James Minch

Edward James Minch of Chestertown, MD, passed away on Tuesday, July 27, 2021, at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. He was 72. Born on February 10, 1949 in Fort Monroe, VA, he was the son of the late Donald and Margaret Nordmann Minch. Ed had a 45-year long career in energy efficiency during which he altered how home and commercial energy efficiency improvements were made to thousands of structures across the country. His service to his community didn't end after his retirement, it just took new shape. Since moving to Chestertown, Ed poured himself into Kent Attainable Housing (KAH) the not-for profit he co-founded with the goal of equalizing opportunities for home ownership in the county and allowing families to build generational stability. He was energized by the idea of helping others. Ed was truly a lifelong learner; he loved history. He served for years on the Chestertown Historical Commission, and held a seat on the council for lifelong learning at Washington College.He was a champion of organ donation, and helped innovate a program which pairs organ donors with compatible recipients. Ed was a hand tool enthusiast- he had the right tool for every job- and spent many hours in his workshop lovingly crafting everything from chairs to guitars to toys for his grandchildren. He was an admirer of all things nautical and relished spending time on the water. He sailed Ruby, the boat he and his brother Dave built, to tropical locations with his family, and spent countless volunteer hours working on the tall ships Kalmar Nyckel and Sultana. He loved cars, especially his vintage Avanti, and found much joy in birdwatching from the window of his living room. He suffered a lifelong addiction to chocolate. He always had time for a good laugh. But mostly, Ed loved people. He loved those close to him tirelessly. He was engaging, curious, innovative, funny, and generous with this time. May we all live like Ed. He loved the phrase “Don’t give up the ship”. It's a rallying cry and inspires us to do more, to not give up, but also it stands for the core values of honor, courage and commitment that he embodied every day. In addition to his wife, Michele “Shelley” Miller Minch of Chestertown, he is survived by three daughters, Caitlin Clark of Newark, DE, Hannah Mercurio of Richmond, VA, and Mamie Minch (Tauno Biltsted) of New York, NY; five sisters, Cathy Murphy of Chagrin Falls, OH, Mary Minch (John Seden) of San Francisco, CA, Barbara Crawford of Wilmington, NC, Martha Lombardi (Fred) of Akron, OH, and Judy Zell (Mark) of North Ridgeville, OH; two brothers, Dave Minch (Robin Goss) of Saugerties, NY, and Tom Minch (Sandy Kehn) of Hudson, OH; grandchildren, Maceo C. Clark, Truman Edward Mercurio and Georgia D. Mercurio; as well as many well-loved nieces and nephews. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ed Minch Housing Equity Fund via PayPal or mailed to Kent Attainable Housing at P.O. Box 501, Chestertown, MD 21620.

Edward James Minch

February 10, 1949 - July 27, 2021