Edward F. Verdesca

Edward Francis Verdesca was born in Malden Massachusetts in July of 1938.He moved to Los Angeles, California as a teenager and attended Hollywood High where he played football with David Nelson and parked cars for movie stars. He received a scholarship to UCLA and joined ROTC and then went into the U.S. Army where he became Company Commander as a Lieutenant. He earned a commendation medal for his service and had an Expert Rifle Marksmanship Badge. Edward moved to Boston, Mass. After leaving the Army and followed his brother into IBM where he became a salesman of services at a time when computers were the size of a room. Edward met his wife, Fredi, in Boston. They married in September of 1965 while she was employed as a fashion illustrator at Filene’s. Fredi gave birth to their first child, John Joseph, in Boston and then left IBM for a company in Detroit Michigan where their second son Michael was born. Edward and his colleagues formed their own company and the family moved to Dallas and then to Los Angeles. In 1970, Ed and Fredi decided to take a hiatus and travelled across the country in a motor home with two toddler boys, a German shepherd and a large, orange cat. They were visiting family in New England as winter set in they decided to move south, eventually settling in Naples, FL. Their daughter, Dena, was born in Naples in Feb, 1971. While in Naples, Ed was instrumental in working with St. Vincent de Paul and became its President during the introduction of its meals on wheels program. He also served as chairman of the Downtown Redevelopment group, He ran the first Trolley system in Naples, starring Dolly the Trolley, while owning the Naples Transit Company. He and Fredi owned 17 Jami’s and JCC women’s apparel stores in Florida. They spent 45 years in retail and were three-time DIVA winners from the Atlanta Apparel Mart. Ed and Fredi enjoyed retirement together for five years, travelling by ship to Madrid to see the inside of the Segrada Familia. Ed was diagnosed with Progressive Supra Nuclear Palsy. Ed stayed at home through his illness and died peacefully with his wife, children and their spouses present. Ed is survived by his wife, three children, their spouses and six grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at 2:00 PM at St. John The Evangelist Catholic Church, 625 111th Ave. N., Naples, FL 34108. Burial will follow in the church memorial garden. In lieu of flowers, please donate to St. Vincent de Paul: www.svdpnaples.org. Arrangements are being handled by Shikany's Bonita Funeral Home.

Edward F. Verdesca

July 5, 1938 - April 13, 2019