He is survived by the love of his life, the former Judith Manning of Boston, Ma. They were married in Milton, Mass., in 1959. Ed and Judy are the parents of six wonderful children. Daughter Jennifer of West Newbury, Mass., daughter Judith of Fairfield, Maine, daughter Nancy of Vero Beach, Fl., and son Major Mark Liston USMC currently stationed in Okinawa. Daughter Christina and son Edward J. Liston predeceased their father. Grandchildren include John Munson, Emily Munson, Kelsey Liston, Zachary Liston, and Lt. Edward J. Liston USMC.
Ed’s career afforded and opportunity to the family to experience different parts of the country as they were growing up. He joined the U.S. Army when he graduated from Mt. Kisco high school in 1949 and was sent to Germany for three years in the army of occupation following WW 2.
When he returned home he worked as a lineman for the N.Y. telephone company before taking advantage of the G.I. bill and enrolling in SUNY Albany where he received a Degree in Business. In his senior year he met his future wife, Judith while they were both working during the summer at a resort hotel in the Adirondacks.
Upon graduation he was offered a teaching assistantship at Ball State University in Indiana. After receiving his Master’s Degree he was invited to stay at B.S.U. as an instructor. He and Judith were married and she joined him in Indiana.
They both missed their families back East and Ed explored teaching opportunities closer to them. The northeastern states were just beginning to establish community colleges and Ed embraced the vision of these new institutions and was hired to teach at Rockland community college in N.Y. He advanced rapidly and was offered an administrative position at Jefferson Community College in Watertown, N.Y. where he began taking graduate work at Syracuse University. Two years later, he was recruited to become the founding president of Housatonic Community College in Connecticut. Seven years later he assumed the presidency of Los Angeles Pierce College in the San Fernando Valley.
The family moved back East when Ed became the second president of the Community College of Rhode Island where he had a distinguished career of 22 years. He was always a champion of providing opportunities for inner city residents and he was recognized for his efforts when the Providence campus was named the “Edward J. Liston” campus.
After 43 years of teaching and administration in higher education he retired in 2000 and he and Judith moved to Maine to live on Quahog Bay where they used to spend many restful weekends prior to retirement. Ed was very active in State and National organizations throughout his career. He was twice elected to the board of the American Assn. of Community Colleges as well as the National Junior College Athletics Assn. He was also a member of the Board of the Community College of the Air Force. He was a member of the Board of the New England Assn. of colleges and universities and chaired many accreditation visits to colleges and universities in New England as well as serving as an accrediting official for American overseas schools. Upon retirement he was awarded with an honorary Doctor of Public Service from Rhode Island College.
Ed enjoyed athletic activities all his life. He was an enthusiastic tennis player and a runner and often traveled with the athletic teams of the college to show his support when he thought it would be helpful. He always remarked that he felt fortunate to have found his chosen profession to be a blessing that few people ever experience, to spend his entire working life doing something that he truly loved, helping people achieve their educational dreams.
A funeral Mass will be held Saturday, Aug. 3 at 10 a.m. at Good Counsel Convent, 52 North Broadway, White Plains, New York. Burial immediately following at St. Francis Cemetery, Mount Kisco, New York.
To leave a message of condolence or a fond memory of Edward for his family, please visit his memorial page at www.brackettfuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to: Edward J. Liston Scholarship Fund, c/o Community College of Rhode Island, 1762 Louis Quisset Pike, Lincoln, Rhode Island 02865-4585.
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