Ed Terziano lived a long, happy life. He was born in Huntsville in 1920, the son of Italian immigrants, and lived most of his life here, save for a few years of military service and studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music.
“He used to say he was blessed with a great memory and a great set of legs,” said his daughter Karin Terziano. “My dad never drove – he always walked. I think that’s part of what kept him going until he was 96 and kept him sharp. He still knew everything about everything right up to the end.”
Ed had three passions in life: family, music and history. In 1986, he compiled a booklet that combined two of those loves – The Little Town Band That Grew and Grew: A Mini History, Anglo Canadian Leather Co. Concert Band – for Huntsville’s centennial. (Read a PDF of the booklet here.)
“He always said that family was the most important thing to him, and his music he loved,” said Karin. “His dad worked for the tannery and played in the band [the Anglo Canadian Leather Co. Concert Band]. He bought my dad a trumpet when he was 16. That was the start of his music.”
In a video as part of the Huntsville Oral Histories project, Ed shared how passionate he was about music. “I kind of lost interest in school when I started playing the trumpet,” he said. “When I transferred to the air force I had to get a letter of my marks from high school and Mr. Thornton added a postscript, ‘don’t pay any attention to these marks, he was a good student but when he discovered the trumpet he forgot about his schooling’.” (See the full interview at the bottom of this page.)
As a young man, Ed worked as a caddy at the Bigwin Island golf course and at night played in the dance band at the Bigwin Inn. “He was still telling Bigwin stories yesterday,” said Karin. “It was one of his favourite places.”
Ed enlisted in the army in 1941, taking his trumpet along with him, and was quickly conscripted into the band. After stints in North Bay and Petawawa, he trained as a wireless air gunner for the air force in PEI. “Apparently when they found out in the air force he was a musician they said they had a job for him and it was as a navigator – I think it had something to do with rhythm,” said Karin.
After training Ed went to Ottawa with hundreds of other air force recruits, “but they really didn’t need us because the tide (in the war) had turned,” he said. He was discharged in 1945 and accepted a military grant for schooling, heading to the Royal Conservatory of Music first in Toronto and then in Kitchener. Finding that jobs for musicians were scarce, he returned to Huntsville in 1948, got a job at the post office, and met his future wife, Reva.
And he kept playing the trumpet. “He played music as a hobby and for a little bit of income probably every night and every weekend when we were growing up. As kids, we could remember him heading off to play every night. He played in the Pavilion band in Bala and the 21 Club in Port Carling. In Huntsville, he played in all of the Rotary musicals and in Dr. Sargeant’s big band, and he played Last Post on Remembrance Day probably for 50 years.”
Even as a resident at Chartell Muskoka Traditions retirement home, he played Christmas concerts and happy birthday every month for the residents. “He played the trumpet right up to the very end,” said Karin. “He would have blown it for 80 years.”
Former Huntsville mayor Hugh Mackenzie calls Ed one of Huntsville’s quiet treasures. “Never one to call attention to himself, he contributed a great deal to Huntsville and to the wider community. He quietly supported many important causes in Huntsville. He was proud of his children and a candid advisor to his daughter Karin when she became a Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Huntsville. If you wanted to know something about Huntsville, you asked Ed Terziano. He was an important part of what makes Huntsville tick. He will be missed.”
Ed died Thursday, November 17, at Chartwell Muskoka Traditions retirement residence, predeceased by his wife Reva in 2001 and survived by his three children, Paul (Patti), Karin and Cathy; four grandchildren Gus (Jen), Lucas (Jeanette), Max (Brittany) and Sarah (Torin); and great-grandson Leto.
At Ed’s direction, there will be no public service. A private family interment will take place at a later date. Donations to Huntsville Hospital Foundation or Algonquin Grace Hospice would be appreciated by the Terziano family.
In the video below, Wayne Cooper interviews Ed Terziano for the Huntsville Oral Histories project on March 31, 2014.
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Marcello Bernardo son on Severino Bernardo also residents of Susan Street and master musicians thank you all for this connection
Thank you Huntsville Doppler for this tribute to Ed and video link. I had the honour and pleasure of knowing Ed and playing music with him for over thirty years. His easy going personality and relaxed, wonderful trumpet playing, made for many good times. Muskoka Concert Band, Muskoka Big Band, Rotary musicals, and Legion dances were some of the venues we shared. Last Christmas he arranged a group of musicians and singers to entertain at his retirement home, and I was pleased to be included. His knowledge of local history and sharp memory made him a wonderful story teller and always interesting to talk to. Ed was a role model for me in music and life, and will be dearly missed.
So enjoyed listening to Ed’s story. I believe I met him at Traditions when my band The FernGlen Fiddleheads were playing there. I am their piano player and Ed came up to me when we were finished playing and complimented me and also told me he used to be in a band. A very nice gentleman.
Thank you Doppler. This is very nice and much appreciated.
Ed was a great local historian. Just a few months ago he gave me a copy of a photo showing him and a fellow caddy at Bigwin Inn. He wasn’t paid much there but the tips were great. He told me that one summer while at Bigwin he had to get back to Huntsville as there was a concert he had to play in. C.O. Shaw told him that the steamer would be waiting for him to take him to the mainland and a taxi would then drive him to town. Mr. Shaw loved his musicians. Thanks Ed for all your assistance over the years concerning Huntsville history, you’re a fine and caring gentleman.