Edward Glennon
Edward Glennon

Obituary of Edward F. Glennon

There is a giant void in our lives, and most certainly a lot less smiles and laughs to go around.

Edward F. Glennon, “Ed”, beloved Dad, Grandpa, friend and colleague, passed Saturday, April 15, 2023, peacefully and surrounded by his family, after a brief illness.

Ed was born September 11, 1935, in the depths of the depression, in Notus, Idaho, to John Edward Glennon and Loraine Mary Henderson.  For the first couple of years, Ed and his family lived in Notus by the Boise River, before settling in Caldwell, Idaho after his brother Jim was born in 1937.  Ed’s life and his family’s lives were upended and changed forever when his father passed unexpectedly in 1944, with Ed being all of 9 years old.  In no small part because of this tragic event, family became pre-eminent in Ed’s life.  His mother moved the family to Emmett in 1945, where Ed and Jim were embraced and absorbed by his mother’s family, providing stability and a loving environment.  To this day, the cousins  continue to stay in touch, get together routinely, and laugh uproariously.  When he married his wife Coline, he inherited 6 brothers- and sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews that further deepened this family bond.

Not exactly a Norman Rockwell youth, but pretty close, Ed grew up in the small town of Emmett.  Ed fished, worked in the orchards and played ball.  At Emmett H.S. he was a standout athlete, with basketball being his preferred sport, but was also an accomplished baseball player.  Ed once scored 52 points in a game and, after graduation in 1953, was offered a scholarship at the College of Idaho, which he declined.  He always regretted that he might have had a chance to play with R.C. Owens and Elgin Baylor at C of I!

Ed married the love of his life, Coline Mortensen, on May 5, 1956.  Always the salesman, Ed started in the furniture business, but was eventually recruited to the insurance industry by Dick Shoemaker for The Prudential Company.  Ed started as an agent in Nyssa, OR,  later in La Grande, OR, and eventually rose to the position of Staff Manager in the Ontario, OR office.  In 1968, he was promoted to District Manager in Boise, where he remained until 1978, at which time he accepted the same role in Portland, OR.  Two years later, Ed was lured to the same leadership responsibility with Standard Insurance in Portland.  When the Boise district manager position came open in 1981, Ed and Coline moved back to Boise.  Years later, Ed started his own business, Glennon Financial Group, which he ran until 2020.

 For over 60 years, Ed was the face of and a force in the insurance industry, especially in Idaho.  He acquired the designations of Certified Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant.  Throughout his time in the industry, until his retirement in 2020, Ed was prominent in the insurance and financial consulting business.  He and Coline traveled extensively as a Top Producer for Prudential, was the President of Boise Estate Planners, Boise Association of Financial Advisors (BAIFA), Idaho State Association of Financial Advisors (IAIFA), Southwestern Association Chartered Life Underwriters (CLU), and Southwestern Association General Agents and Managers Association (GAMA). He was the recipient of numerous Insurance Awards including the Bill Rankin Award for Industry Leadership, served as the President of Idaho Life Underwriters, and was recognized for his lifetime achievements with the Ed Glennon Award of Excellence, presented to the top new agents of NAIFA.  Ed was a fierce supporter of and contributor to the insurance and financial industry.  He gave freely of his time and talents over the years.  Besides his family, he would be most proud of the many whom he mentored and who went on to have successful careers.

When Ed’s name was mentioned, inevitably there would be smiles, laughs and stories.  Not sure if the “F” in Ed’s middle name stood for fun!  Ed was a competitor, no matter what the game.  He was an outstanding fast pitch softball player until the age of 42.  His golf game didn’t quite match his softball or basketball prowess, but he was a “money” player” and was always happy and gracious in taking your change.  Blackjack was his game of choice in Jackpot or Vegas.  You’d have thought he would have retired a long time ago based on his stories of his exploits there!  Even in the family poker games, he reveled in skunking you.

A die-hard community supporter, Ed was the President of the Boise Little League Program, an annual contributor to Toys for Tots and the Rotary Club breakfasts, and a 55 year Boise State fan, booster and donor. He was a LifeTime Pavillion Member, a BSU football season ticket holder for 35 years and a BAA member.  Some of the more treasured photos he had are of him and the BSU Cheerleaders at different away games.  His and Coline’s generosity was diverse and extensive.

But, if you had to sum up Ed’s life, it was all about family.  Ed loved to recount the accolades and goings-on of his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  He was so proud of them and so pleased with how they had grown, developed and survived and embraced the challenges of life.  He often remarked about how many comments he received about the tightness and fun we had as a family.  Ed was a patriarch in every sense of the word.  But, he could have never done it by himself.  Coline was his foundation, his driving force, his refuge.  When she passed in 2018, he embarked on an arduous odyssey.  In 2020, he almost lost his leg after a fall.  Later, in November that year, he contracted Covid and should have died.  In the process, he had a stroke.  Then, in 2021, he was diagnosed with colon cancer.  This year, in March, he fell and broke his hip, and then just last week he fell again, but was not able to get off the mat after this latest blow.  Throughout these challenges, Ed exhibited the same toughness and positive attitude that were hallmarks of his life.

We will dearly miss our Dad, our Grandpa, our friend.

Ed is survived by his children:  Joni (Matt) Wood of Boise, Steve (Chris) Glennon of Brentwood, CA, and Julie (Ted) Netz of Meridian; grandchildren Ted (Tami) Netz, Russ (Whitney) Wood, Nicole (Mitchell) Glennon, Danielle (Josh) Martinez, Steven Netz, and Allyssa (Taylor) Edginton; many great grandchildren; and his brother, Jim Glennon, of Normandy Park, WA.

Per his request, there will be no viewing or service.  A Celebration of Life will be held this summer.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Grace Assisted Living on State Street who helped Dad in his final year.  He often commented that the staff there was so wonderful to him and that he enjoyed playing bingo with the other residents.  Many thanks as well go to the hospice care staff at All Care, especially Whitney, who helped Dad transition through this final phase of his life.

Donations and remembrances in Ed’s name can be made to the Boise State Athletic Association.

“That man is a success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had.”  Robert Louis Stevenson

You are with Mom now. You got your wish.  Rest in Peace.

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We are deeply sorry for your loss ~ the staff at Summers Funeral Homes - Ustick Chapel
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