Born April 24, 1941
Washington, D.C.
Died June 23, 2024
New London, New Hampshire
Details of services
A private family tribute to Ed’s life will be held this July 4 at Pleasant Lake.
Beloved husband, father and grandfather Edgar C. Gerwig passed away peacefully Sunday, June 23, at his lakeside home in New London. He was 83.
Ed was a highly successful banker, but he is best remembered by the many people who admired and loved him for his kindness, humility and devotion to his family.
He began both his career and his family soon after graduating from Wesleyan University in 1962. He was hired by Connecticut Bank & Trust as a management trainee, and he married his wife of 62 years, Cathleen M. (Murphy) Gerwig. A year later, they welcomed the first of their three children, Nancy M. Gerwig of Weybridge.
After rising steadily through the ranks at CBT, Ed became one of the youngest bank presidents in Connecticut in 1980, when he took over the reigns at Norwich Savings Society, by which point his family had grown to include Lynn G. Lyons of Concord, New Hamphire, and Edgar C. Gerwig III of Westwood, Massachusetts.
Five years later, he was named president of Mechanics Savings Bank in Hartford, Connecticut. At both banks, he improved their profile and balance sheets, while at the same time making a concerted effort to help minority communities that had been traditionally underserved.
He was also active in the civil rights movement of the 1960s and ‘70s.
Ed was born April 24, 1941, in Washington, D.C., the second child of Everett H. and Pearl M. (Prentice) Gerwig. Raised in McLean, Virginia, he attended Sidwell Friends School, where he was class president and a member of the football and baseball teams.
In addition to his wife, Cathleen, he is survived by his three children and eight grandchildren: Brice D. Guerriere and Cole H. Guerriere of Boston; Pearl P. Guerriere of Phoenix, Arizona; Greta L. Powers of Burlington; Edgar W. “Zed” Lyons of Portland, Maine; Brackett M. Lyons of Concord, New Hampshire; and Catherine D. Gerwig and Thomas H. Gerwig of Westwood, Massachusetts.
Ed was also very close with Cathleen’s niece Sheryl D. Green of Bloomfield, Connecticut; her husband, Marc; and their children Ashley, Matthew and Zachary, and their spouses and children. And he had a special relationship with his son-in-law Crawford Lyons.
Always quick with a smile and an encouraging word, Ed enjoyed playing tennis and golf, and was an avid swimmer. Above all, he enjoyed spending time with his family. His favorite holiday was the Fourth of July, when his extended clan would gather at his Pleasant Lake home. The highlight was the annual boat parade, which each year had a different theme, with Ed captaining what was invariably a zany and fun-loving crew. He also did not shy away from participating in family activities, and at age 81, his Karaoke rendition of “Blue Suede Shoes” brought down the house.