Edward James Dowgiallo Jr.

Edward James Dowgiallo, Jr. of Solomons, Maryland, and formerly of Tall Timbers, Maryland, passed away peacefully on October 7, 2026, at Asbury in Solomons, Maryland. Born on April 21, 1936, he was the son of the late Edward James Dowgiallo, Sr. and Julia (Heil) Dowgiallo.

Ed was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and sibling whose life was defined by love of family, service to others, intellectual curiosity, and a deep commitment to faith and the environment. An accomplished electrical engineer, lifelong learner, and passionate advocate for nature, Ed brought equal measures of ingenuity, humor, and wonder to everything he pursued.

Ed was the loving husband of Frances Marie (Knott) Dowgiallo. They were married at The Church of the Assumption in Washington, DC, on May 28, 1960, with his uncle Victor Dowgiallo among the priests presiding. Ed was the father of Mary Guss (Harry), Patti Dowgiallo, Tom Dowgiallo, Dave Dowgiallo (Patti), Vicky Miller (John), Tree Crofoot (Pat), John Dowgiallo (Jonathan), and Joe Dowgiallo (Christina). He was the grandfather of Emma Bowlby (Justin), Beth Hanner, Emily Hanner, Elaine Winzell (Doug), Zach Dowgiallo, Dani Dowgiallo, Megan Dowgiallo, Giulia Coffman (Dean), Hannah Dowgiallo, Savannah Santiago (Robert), Ethan Reedy, Ashton Reedy, Amber Crofoot, Wesley Crofoot, Lacey Dowgiallo, and Michael Boswell. He was the great grandfather of Breanna, Kylie, and Kendra Stamm. Ed is survived by his siblings Louise Dowgiallo, Marie Moeller, and Mike Dowgiallo. He was predeceased by his sister Teresa Dowgiallo.

Ed took several buses to get to high school at Gonzaga (what he considered the equivalent of hiking uphill both ways barefoot in the snow). He did his college studies at George Washington University and Capitol Technology University. Ed served in the Air National Guard for several years at the outset of his career. What was surely a serious job serving his country and supporting his budding family was mostly retold by Ed in his later years as a sequence of cheerful anecdotes and a series of mispronunciations of his name by commanding officers.

Deciding that his environmental interests may not yield a fruitful job in botany, Ed settled on electrical engineering for his professional pursuit. He turned this into a decades-long career at the Department of Energy pioneering research into electric and hybrid vehicles. He created a few patents along the way. Even after his official retirement, Ed dabbled in using nanotechnology to create what could become the capacitors of the future.

Ed’s private interests often reflected a deep commitment to family, community, and the environment. Ed and his wife Fran showed deep commitment to their marriage. They were active in Teams of Our Lady and Marriage Encounter groups, finding religious fellowship with other couples. Somewhere in there Ed even decided to found the International Huggers Association. Ed and Fran remained married for over 66 years. He often joked that based on his sisters being triplets he had hoped to father 33 sets of triplets and reach 99 children. He and Fran did at least manage to parent 8 children toward that ambition. He took great pride in organizing annual vacations bringing all the children together (much in the style of a Chevy Chase National Lampoon’s vacation). Ed’s family was a constant source of joy to him. Ed would be the first to tell you that his wife Fran is a saint.

Ed was for many years in charge of a program for runaways, even going as far as housing some of the youth in need. Ed would on-again off-again support Sunday schooling as needed for the various Roman Catholic parishes to which he belonged over the years. While he remained thoroughly committed to the Roman Catholic Church, he considered himself a mystic in search of truths that often-blended faith and science. He read almost exclusively nonfiction books and magazines to stoke his philosophical fires.

Ed also hoarded a peculiar amount of nature guides. Ed always had a passion for the environment and following his retirement he was able to pour time into the Potomac River Association among other groups. Ed once had a mystical experience sitting on a bench surrounded by the emergence of 17-year cicadas. He was the kind of guy who would trap a fly to release it outside. He would tell you that he was a vegetarian in his golden years. Note that seafood – particularly steamed Maryland blue crab – was uniquely excluded from such environmental pacifism and dietary categorization. In true Maryland spirit the Dowgiallo family crest is essentially a crab shell.

Ed had a deep, booming voice he harnessed to share stories and laughter. His presence never went unnoticed in a room. He will be remembered for his personal parables, his advice always supported by a new age citation, his passion for eclectic interests, and his devotion to Fran, family, and friends.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. followed by prayers at 7:00 PM in Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 10:00 AM. in Saint George Catholic Church, Valley Lee, MD. with Rev. John Nguyen officiating. Interment to follow in Saint George Church Cemetery, Valley Lee, MD.

Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home and Cremation Services, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.