Edward Leonard Gamwell Jr.

May 10, 1948 – January 12, 2022

Edward Leonard Gamwell, Jr., 73, of Providence, Rhode Island, passed away Wednesday. A funeral service will be held on January 19, 2022, at Joyner’s Funeral Home, 4100 Raleigh Road Parkway, Wilson at 11 a.m. Graveside will follow in the East Carolina State Veterans Cemetery, 164 Longs Plant Farm Road, Goldsboro, North Carolina at 2 p.m. Rev. Wayne Whitley will officiate.

Ed Gamwell was a loving Husband, Father, Grandfather and a true Patriot. A man who held to his values and passed them down to the next generation.

Ed served in the Marine Corps from 1965-1971 and served two tours in Vietnam. Following his enlistment in the Marine Corps, Ed served for a short time in the Washington State National Guard from 1972-1973. During his time of service, Ed and Jan were wed in Holy Matrimony on December 6, 1975. Ed’s civil service career began with a Puget Sound Naval shipyard apprenticeship that ended in 1977. Following his apprenticeship, Ed worked as a Journeyman waterfront rigger at Trident Refit facility in Bangor, WA.

In 1985, Ed was promoted to Rigger Foreman and moved his family across the United States to Kingsland, GA, where he finished his career at Kingsbay Trident Refit facility. Ed retired in 2006 after a long and successful career in the civil service.

Following retirement, Ed and Jan Gamwell settled in Burke County NC for several years. They then moved to Port Orchard, WA in 2014. In 2018 Ed and Jan moved back across country to settle in Wilson.

Ed will be remembered for his family values, stubbornness, good sense, work ethic and his own brand of tough love. Always expecting maximum effort and never accepting anything less. The lighthearted and fun memories are precious and few, but the man had one handsome smile.

Edward is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Jan Elizabeth Thorsen Gamwell; daughter, Christy Elizabeth Quigley and husband, David of Belgium; son, Corey Wayne Gamwell and wife Crystal of Stantonsburg; granddaughter, Meghan Rambo and husband Jaren; grandsons, Nick Quigley, John Gamwell, Cameron Gamwell and Nolan Gamwell; two great grandchildren and sister, Eileen Steiner of Massachusetts.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Ida Gamwell.

Condolences directed to Joyner’s Funeral Home and Crematory at www.joyners.net.