Edward Stanley Solomon, 90, passed away on Feb. 27, 2021, from natural causes. He is survived by his wife, Jo Anna, of 69 years; four children, Deborah MacRae and husband Kenneth, Joetta Solomon, Edward B. Solomon and wife Carol and Angela Mascari and husband Lawrence; eight grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Ed was the 13th child, born in West Virginia, of immigrants from Austria and Poland. He was the last surviving child.
Ed was very accomplished. He was an All-State basketball player in high school, All-American at West Virginia Tech University where he was the leading collegiate scorer in the nation, averaging 34.5 points per game, junior and senior year. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree with honors, “Eddie” was drafted by the NBA Warriors 4th round. Instead of turning pro, he decided to pursue an offer from Caterpillar Corporation in Illinois where he began a 45 year career as an extraordinary finance manager. He once said, “yellow runs through my veins!”
After 15 years at Caterpillar Illinois, the family moved to Arizona, then to California, where he pursued a career with Johnson Machinery, retiring after 25 years of service. Ed served nine years on the board of Directors at Riverside community Hospital; he was a member of Riverside Community Hospital foundation.
He was an avid gardener and had a deep respect for nature. Ed was dedicated to his family and will forever remain in their hearts.
