Edgar Gollop, beloved husband of Darlene Gollop and father of sons, Joel (Sharon — Gary, Sarah, Sammi) Howard (Rhenee, late) and Andy (Gina — Myles, Autumn and Eli) and daughter, Leslie (Elaine — James) died peacefully in his sleep Monday afternoon, May 9, of natural causes. He would have been 94 years old July 11.
Ed Gollop leaves behind his wife of 72 years, Darlene Gollop. The couple met during their teenage years while living in St. Paul, Minnesota. They later married as young adults in 1950 and have been soul mates and best friends ever since. Many have called Darlene and Ed “The Love Birds.” Their devoted partnership to one another is certainly a model of what a marriage should be.
A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, and graduate of University Minnesota, Gollop first served as a civilian employee with the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C. before moving to Huntsville.
A leader in the Huntsville Jewish community since the late 1950s, Gollop served as congregational president of Temple B’nai Sholom and the Jewish civic organization B’nai Brith. He moved to Huntsville in 1958 to work at Redstone Arsenal as a civilian tech writer for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Command and later a contract associate for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center until retirement. He also served in the U.S. Army in Korea in the late 1940s.
In later years, Gollop wrote two popular musicals that had successful runs in the Huntsville area — “The Great B-Western,” a revue celebrating the classic Hollywood sub-genre in song and dance, and “My Father’s Letters,” another revue exploring home life during WWII in anecdotes and music. “Dad had a great feel for musical theater, which was a nice surprise for all of us during his later years,” said his son Howard Gollop, an entertainment editor in Cleveland.
He is also survived by his brother, Shale Gollop, seven grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be graveside only at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 13, 2022 at Maple Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Temple B’nai Sholom or Jewish Federation of North Alabama.
May Ed rest in peace and may his memory be a blessing to all who knew him.
May God comfort those who mourn him, among all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
May God and our community offer support, comfort, and consolation to his entire and extended family.
May Ed’s memory be for blessing, now and always.
