Ed Gorman, Beloved Woodbridge Vet, Dies

Woodbridge, NJ - A World War II Army veteran well-known and beloved in Woodbridge Township died Thursday morning.

Edward “Ed” Gorman passed away at the age of 92.

Gorman served as the past commander of the American Legion Post 471 in Iselin and was always very active in veterans’ affairs in Woodbridge. He started a local support group for military families and became so involved in the community that May 21 was deemed ”Ed Gorman Day.”

“Ed Gorman was a true Woodbridge icon. Everybody knew him, everybody loved him and everybody respected him,” said Mayor John McCormac, who grew up one block away from Gorman, and remembers him coaching Little League. “Anybody who survived Normandy is OK by us.”

“In this life I have never met a more decent human being than Ed Gorman,” said 5th Ward Woodbridge Councilwoman Debbie Meehan. “He spent his life serving this country, serving this community and did so with grace and kindness always. Ed continued helping veterans ‘till his very last days.”

“Woodbridge Township has not only lost an icon of this community, they have lost a true friend,” she added.

A man who made sure we never forget D-Day

Gorman tried to enlist for the Army at age 17, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but was told to wait. At 18, he did enlist, and was sent to land on Omaha Beach in the invasion of Normany on D-Day. He has since participated in many national media interviews and documentaries about that historic day in American history.

Gorman has said he will never forget the deaths of so many American troops at the beach, often breaking down in tears when he spoke of what he witnessed. He has also said he will never forget the grateful cheers of the French shouting, “The Americans are here!”

A Woodbridge resident for 62 years

Gorman, originally from Brooklyn, settled in Woodbridge and raised his family here.

He and his wife, Josephine, enjoyed 69 years of marriage, tying the knot in 1947. The couple lived in the Menlo Park Terrace section of Woodbridge since 1954; Gorman briefly moved to Colonia last year before his death. He leaves behind three sons, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

But it wasn’t just veterans’ affairs Gorman was involved in. He was also involved in the Boy Scouts of America, and was an outspoken advocate for rent control at Woodbridge Hills housing development for seniors.

His presence will be sorely missed in the annual Veterans Day Parade.

Note: Patch reader Nancy Van Bramer contacted us to let us know that Gorman and his family lived in the Menlo Park Terrace section of Woodbridge, not Iselin. We corrected the mistake at her request.