Edward Earle Hudgins

Ed was born and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia. The fourth of five children, he was the first in his family to attend college, studying for two years at William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA before achieving a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1953 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, VA. He would go on to get a further degree of B.S. of Industrial Management Technology in Pittsburgh, PA. 

Ed served in the U. S. Army from 1945 to 1947.

Except for two years spent with the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Ed began and ended his career with Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Beginning in 1952 as a Junior Engineer, he went on to become a Senior Engineer with various divisions of Westinghouse, including Power Control, Computer Systems, and Power Systems. He was proud to be the designer of the engine room controls and research computer systems for the nation’s first oceanographic vessel.

Westinghouse’s various jobs took Ed and his family to live in many different cities, including Pittsburgh, PA, Indianapolis, IN, Charlotte, NC, and Philadelphia, PA.

In retirement, Ed and Jane settled in Deltaville, VA, enjoying sailing on the Chesapeake Bay and the community of Ware Episcopal Church in Gloucester. Eventually they moved to Chapel Hill, NC.

Singing was one of the joys of his life. At an early age his voice was noticed and he began singing as a boy soprano in the choir of St. John’s Episcopal, Portsmouth, VA. A particular highlight for him was performing the beautiful tenor solos from Handel’s Messiah with the William & Mary choir. Singing even brought about his wonderful marriage and family life when he met Jane Wortham Terrill in the First Presbyterian Choir of Portsmouth, VA.

Ed is survived by his wife of 71 years, Jane Terrill Hudgins, Chapel Hill, NC, his sons Thomas Terrill Hudgins “Terry” (Hope Bryan) of Chapel Hill, William R. Hudgins “Bill” (Catherine) of Boston, MA, grandsons William Heath Hudgins (Dory) and Oliver Edward Hudgins (Mary Katherine) and great-granddaughter Halle Elizabeth Hudgins.