Ed Devitt, a man defined by the village where he was born and raised, and lived his entire life, strove toward preserving and redefining that village through his life’s work in both business and politics, died at home on the first of May, surrounded by loved ones.
The son of the late William J and Agnes Flannery Devitt, he was born November 29, 1935 in Montgomery.
From an early age Ed cultivated a love of his hometown, its history and his family’s commitment to it. Born and raised in the family home on the corner of Wallkill and Boyd, just four blocks from where his father was born above the family’s bakeshop, and a short distance from where his mother’s extensive family resided in Campbell Hall, Ed’s childhood was woven into a lineage of folk with strong ties and established traditions. Flanked by two churches, Ed grew up amidst church bells and the uplifting songs of choirs. Ed relished his forays throughout the village and surrounding farmland often accompanying his father delivering mail as a rural route carrier or delivering hot cross buns to all the neighbors on Good Friday.
Living through WWII during his formative years and witnessing the efforts a community makes to provide for and support one another fostered an incredible sense of civic responsibility which he carried through in his business and political careers. Along with holding positions as village clerk and postmaster Ed’s father headed the March of Dimes whose mission was to raise awareness and garner support for those affected by the polio epidemic. His mother had a lifelong career in education as a home economics teacher, who often traversed into the surrounding areas to teach families how to can and preserve vegetables. The county fairs were a spectacular affair where his mother judged pie entries. Ed remembers welcoming soldiers home from their military service, riding in the Army jeep as a reward for collecting donations, and building a Victory garden in the backyard with his father.
As a young boy, Ed fondly recalled skinny dipping in the Wallkill River, the “Bare Bottom Boys” as they were called, cheering for Babe Ruth as he drove through the village, pick-up basketball and baseball games, hanging out at the blacksmith shop watching the horses have their horseshoes get changed out. Summer social events like the musical concerts at the bandstand and dances at the Grange brought the community together. The Devitt - Flannery Fourth of July picnic was started in 1944 by his mother and sisters with the intention of gathering friends and family close to support the losses of family members due to the war. The picnic continues to this day and welcomes over 100 family members traveling from all parts of the US. Another long-standing tradition is the Thanksgiving hike where the fathers of a handful of families gathered all the children and got them out of the house so the women could focus on making dinner. Eighty-four years later we still gather at the Devitt home, walk through the Village and down to the park, through the trails and along the Wallkill. A small fire is started where we sing and dance to the tunes of the Hokey Pokey.
Ed found ways to earn some spending money, and to appease his candy cravings, during these frugal years he would help his brother with a paper route or deliver bags of groceries to homes with his wagon. He could usually count on earning a nickel for each run. Eventually, as a teenager, Ed worked at the same grocery store stocking shelves. He saved to purchase his first car, a 1954 Ford. To keep busy during summer months his Dad would tell him to run over to Edgar’s farm to help with haying the fields. His collection of restored Allis-Chalmers tractors reflects his connection to those years. Ed could also be found helping his dad canceling stamps at the post office.
Following the footsteps of his Father and Grandfather, Ed became a volunteer fireman with the Wallkill Engine and Hose Company in 1954, becoming the third generation of Devitts achieving lifetime membership of the firehouse. Ed, along with Vince Brescia and other like-minded individuals, believed in the importance of volunteerism by firefighters as well as preserving equipment used in firefighting. The group planned and fundraised until they were able to purchase the original Village of Montgomery firehouse in 1998. After much renovating and restoring, the Orange County Firefighters Museum was established as a tribute to all firefighters, who commit their lives to others, and to showcase a plethora of equipment dating back to the mid 1800’s.
In 1966 Ed established Devitt Real Estate. His first commission for a rental property was $30. After a decade of witnessing an uptick in growth and transportation, an article about a mid-western company focusing on providing economy lodging, rooms costing $8.88, caught Ed’s attention. In 1977 Ed and his partner George Tolley obtained the master franchise for New York and New England and built the first Super 8 this side of the Mississippi, in Montgomery, NY. Over the course of the next fourteen years Ed and George built, owned and operated forty two motels from Williamsport, Pennsylvania to Augusta, Maine. After this time of traveling the Northeast, Ed realized his true passion; to come back home and focus on his community by offering a diversity of housing opportunities and mixed use properties. Ed purchased and restored historic landmarks, integral to the town, creating opportunities to grow our local art community and cottage industries. This decision helped shape what Montgomery is today.
In the 1990s, Ed, along with his brother Bill, transformed the Pleasure Grounds into The Winding Hills Golf Course, an 18 hole executive course open to the public. The pristine design highlights original stone walls that surround the property used as boundaries for the fairways. The foundation of the original farmhouse, the Mahar Wigton home, built in 1789 was restored and garnished with flowers and shrubbery; the original front door was salvaged and replaced. The hand dug, perfectly symmetrical stone lined well remains intact; the poem ‘For Once Then Something’, by Robert Frost, suggested by his son, McKew, inscribed on the protective glass. Ed is a proponent for incorporating environmental heritage into commercial development, using ongoing communication and a focus on growth issues. With this shared ideology, Ed believed that historical and environmental preservation can be accomplished with most commercial projects.
Alongside his business life, Ed maintained an active political life, serving as Village Trustee from 1966 to 1972 and then as a County Legislator, 18th District, from 1978 to 1986. Among the many boards and chairs on which Ed focused his time and effort, he was most proud of serving on the board of directors with Pursuit from 2001 to 2020, formerly known as NYBDC (New York Business Development Corporation), having been appointed by three consecutive Governors.
In all of his life’s work, Ed has touched the lives of so many people, and it’s in the intimate moments spent with others, listening deeply and offering his encouragement to strive toward their fullest potential, where our time spent with him will be life lasting and never forgotten.
Along with his parents and his wife, Mary Chaffee Devitt, he was predeceased by his daughter Mia Devitt, his grandson Harrison Rose, and siblings Barbara Mahoney, Patricia Kavanaugh, and William J Devitt. Survivors include his daughter Megan Rose-Devitt of Dorset, VT, son Marc Devitt and daughter-in-law Colleen Devitt of Montgomery, son McKew Devitt and daughter-in-law Katie Devitt of Williston, VT, and son F. Edward Devitt II of Montgomery. His grandchildren, Maia, Hudson, Travis, Eisley, Stella, Montgomery, Charles, Violet and Caleb, brought him great joy throughout his later years.
Visitation will be Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 96 River Street, Montgomery, from 1 to 5. A Mass of Christian burial will be Monday, May 13, 2024, at Holy Name of Mary Church, 89 Union St., Montgomery.
Burial will be in St Mary's Cemetery in Montgomery,. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Orange County Firefighters Museum.
Arrangements were made by Millspaugh Funeral Directors.