Edward B. Homsey

Edward B. Homsey passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 6, 2024. He was born on December 25, 1930 in Oklahoma City, OK. Ed is predeceased by his parents, Essa B. and Myrtle (Raney) Homsey of McPherson, KS and his dear wife, Shirley (Moore) Homsey. He is survived by his sister Donna Sue Proctor of Spokane, WA; daughter Susan Homsey (John Ernisse); son David Homsey (Susan Wildemann Homsey); and granddaughters Laura, Emma and Sarah. He was beloved by his extended family, especially his cousin David (Sidney) Raney.

Shirley was his wife of 66 years, the love of Ed’s life, and the only one he would ever let call him Eddie. Her passing in 2021 left a hole in his life from which he never recovered.

Ed served in the Air Force during the Korean War, working as an air traffic controller there. He told harrowing stories of guiding damaged planes onto a crowded runway, where his cool under pressure meant the difference between life and death for the crews on those planes. Pilots came up to the tower to thank him after they landed safely.

He graduated from Baylor University and came to Rochester to attend the University of Rochester to earn his doctorate. Not long after, he met Shirley and started a family. Though he adopted New York as his home, he never gave up his love of Oklahoma Sooner football and Kansas Jayhawk basketball. Moreover, his love of the Yankees stemmed from the fact that Mickey Mantle also hailed from Oklahoma.

For most of his career, Ed was a school psychologist in the Greece Central School District and was in demand by other area districts as a fill-in for years after he retired. He helped countless children and families through difficult times, and, post-retirement, taught psychology at Nazareth College and Finger Lakes Community College, training the next generation to do the same.

Always an excellent athlete, Ed was an avid bowler, cyclist and golfer, usually with Shirley at his side. They belonged to Stafford Country Club in Stafford, NY, where Ed served as president, historian and, through his love of golf course design, founded the Walter J. Travis Society, for the noted course architect and amateur golfer. The Society would grow to include 26 country clubs in the U.S. and Canada, hosting annual Ryder Cup-style tournaments between member clubs, and supporting the next generation of aspiring course designers through annual college scholarships.

Ed had a lifelong love of music and performed piano in college and in the service. He and Shirley attended concerts of jazz legends and reggae greats.

In the ’60s, Ed and Shirley were a top rally car duo on the Triumph Sports Car team, competing in rallies across the Northeast, with Shirley driving and Ed navigating. He had an amazing sense of direction, possessing an internal GPS before such a thing existed.

In lieu of flowers, Ed’s family asks donations be made in his name to the Walter J. Travis Society – Ed Homsey Scholarship, so named after his passing to honor his passion. Checks should be made out and sent to Travis Scholarship Foundation, 68 Rochester Street, Bergen, NY 14416

Ed’s cherished friends are invited to a reception on Sunday, January 5 from 2-4pm at the Donald Schlieter Lodge, Braddock Bay Park 199 East Manitou Road, Hilton, NY.