Edwin "Ed" L. Mcwilliams

Ed McWilliams, born on March 18, 1953, rode into this world as the youngest of 10, a maverick from the start. Fast Eddie, they called him in those early days, a moniker earned tearing through life like a bat out of hell. A paperboy turned machinist; Ed didn't just ride the waves of existence; he ground his own gears.

A proud Army veteran, Ed cherished the time he spent stationed in South Korea. The memories of his time in the service became threads woven into the fabric of his life.

Family was not just a word to Ed; it was an odyssey. His children, Dan and Mary, were his pride, carrying the McWilliams legacy forward. He loved them with the same intensity he poured into every mile of the open road. And then there were the grandkids—Dominick, Vincent, Marissa, Mya, Devon, and Cecilia. To Ed, they were the constellations in his night sky, each one a bright spark in the vast expanse of his love.

Ed's humor, wild and untamed, was his signature. He navigated the boundaries of appropriateness as if they were mere road signs on his journey to truth. Embracing the spirit of the Rolling Stones, he understood that "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need." So, with a grin, he would raise a glass to the beautiful chaos of living.

The man had a hunger for adventure that matched his appetite for hard work. Road trips with the McWilliams clan were a saga. From Cape Canaveral to Yellowstone, Grand Canyon to the French Quarter, Mammoth Caves and beyond, Ed was the maestro of the asphalt symphony, orchestrating journeys that left imprints on the soul. 

His love for freedom roared through the pipes of his motorcycle. The highway was his canvas, and he painted it with the wind. Ed understood the thrill of the open road, the symphony of the engine, and the poetry of two wheels dancing on the asphalt. 

In the twilight of Dorothy's illness, Ed stood as a pillar of strength. His love for her was the North Star guiding him through the wild seas of life. His care for her was a testament to a love that weathered every storm. As the highway claims Ed McWilliams, may the asphalt in the great beyond be as endless as the stories he left behind. The roaring engine and the scent of freedom linger, and in the winds of eternity, Ed and Dorothy ride together once more.

Ed is predeceased by his wife, Dorothy; brother, Don; and sister, Pauline. He is survived by his son, Dan (Antoinette); daughter, Mary; grandchildren, Dominick, Vincent, Marissa, Mya, Devon, and Cecilia; siblings, Bob (Peggy), Glen (Laurie), Bonnie, Bernie (Nancy), Bill (Judy), Frank (Dawn), Ellie (Clay), as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Service will be on Saturday, January 6, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, 3910 N. Rockton Avenue Rockford, IL 61103. A visitation will be prior to the service starting at 11:00 a.m. Private burial of cremated remains at Calvary Catholic Cemetery.