Prime, Edward S.

Edward S. Prime, 85, of Cedar Rapids, left to be reunited with his wife Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, at St. Luke's Hospital, Cedar Rapids. Celebration of Life service will be held in March 2014. Burial: Linwood Cemetery. Arrangements with Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home, Cedar Rapids.

Survivors include his children, Gail (Jeffrey) Zelik of Downingtown, Pa., Edward S. Jr. (Renee) Prime of Goodyear, Ariz., Ellen (Edward) Sanks of Marion, Sue Prime of Cedar Rapids and Donna Prime of Iowa City; sister, Alberta Dickerson of Virginia; brother-in-law, Arthur (Lily) Wiggins of Maryland; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Vondell; brother, Bernard Prime; and dog, China.

Edward was born Aug. 22, 1928, the son of Edward and Susan (Scott) Prime, in Bethlehem, Pa. A graduate from high school in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., he continued his education in Scranton, Pa., and then joined the United States Air Force in 1950. On Feb. 4, 1952, he was united in marriage to Vondell McLemore in Brady, Texas. Edward served 25 years in the Air Force as an air traffic controller, retiring in 1975. After retiring from the Air Force, he began working for the Cedar Rapids Eastern Iowa Airport in 1976 as an air traffic controller.

An avid outdoorsman, Edward enjoyed golfing, hunting, fishing and bowling. He was also a golfsmith and ran Ed's Golf Shop. Edward was a member of the Elks Lodge and was the local chapter and state affiliate president of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown, Iowa, in memory of Edward.

Please sign the online guest book for Edward at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.

Published Dec. 8, 2013 in The Gazette