Edward F. Wigandt

Edward F. Wigandt was born on January 19, 1939 and passed away peacefully on Friday, May 19, 2023 surrounded by his children.  He is now reunited with Maureen, the love of his life, who passed away in 2003.  

Eddie’s joy in life was quietly watching the empire that he and Maureen built from his bench under the Kousa Dogwood tree or by his pool, affectionately nicknamed the “Congress Street Yacht Club”.  The simple pleasures in life were what mattered and nothing brought him more joy than taking road trips with his wife, having long discussions with his children and watching his grandchildren have fun and work hard.  He loved classical, jazz and 50s music, political talk shows, car restoration and woodworking.  Eddie was a retired MBTA bus driver, a self-employed carpenter, a real estate agent and a truck driver with Local 25.  Eddie’s first job was at the age of ten, when he started selling newspapers on the busy corners of Boston to support his family after his father’s death. He never stopped working. 

Nothing ever came easy to Eddie, nor would he let it.  He believed in hard work, resilience, doing things the “right way” and he never, ever, hired anyone to do what he could do himself.  If he did not know how to do something, he learned.  This allowed his children the luxury of never having to hire a carpenter, mechanic, plumber, electrician, architect, landscaper, pool technician, financial advisor or talk therapist.  Eddie was a humble, life-long learner in the truest sense.  His insight gave him the unique ability to offer advice without judgment, calming support without condescension and reflection without pride.  His absence will leave an unfillable void.

Edward is the son of the late Fritz Wigandt and the late Catherine (MacDonald) Wigandt.  He is the brother of the late James Wigandt and the late Joan (Wigandt) Beavers of California.  Eddie is the adoring husband of the late Maureen A. (Baker) Wigandt.  He is survived by his seven children:  Tracy Graziano and her husband John, Robin Wigandt Gurski, Douglas Wigandt and his late wife, Mary, Kristen Wigandt, Patricia Wigandt Condon and her husband Paul, Kerry Wigandt and Dennis Wigandt. He is the adored Papa of thirteen grandchildren:  Emily, Jim, Christine, Stephen, Meghan, Marisa, Lacey, Lilly, Patrick, James, Olivia, Eliot and Maple and his two great-grandchildren, Jeffrey and Henry.  He will be warmly remembered by his nieces and nephews, especially Julie (Beavers) Sorensen and Mary Bridget (Sheridan) LePage. He was the cornerstone of his family.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Saint Jude or The Shriners Hospitals.  Eddie quietly donated to these and many other charities for children because, as he explained, “your mother would have liked that”. 

For more information, www.facebook.com/BarileFamilyFuneralHome