Father Edward D. Lyons, who spent the first part of his priestly ministry in the classroom and ended it as pastor of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Cape May Court House, died on Jan. 5.
He retired in 2003 and had been living in Wayne, Pennsylvania. He was 89.
Father Lyons was born in South Philadelphia. After service in the Navy, he attended Saint Jerome’s College in Kitchener, Ontario, and Christ the King Seminary. He was ordained April 14, 1962, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Camden.
After a few years as a parochial vicar, first at Saint John Parish, Paulsboro, 1962-65, and then Saint Peter, Pleasantville, 1965-66, he started teaching at Holy Spirit High School, Absecon. His teaching career lasted more than 30 years, until 1997 when he became pastor of Our Lady of the Angels.
At Holy Spirit, he was chair of the English Department, and the school inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2002. A passionate basketball fan, he founded and ran the Seagull Classic tournament, 1972-90.
When he was honored for founding the tournament and presented with a commemorative Seagull Classic basketball, Father Lyons noted that the event was more than an athletic competition. “Charities in needful schools and institutions benefited from the Seagull each Christmastide for nearly 20 years,” he said.
One of 14 children, Father Lyons officiated at hundreds of family baptisms, weddings and funerals.
He is survived by two sisters, Sister Cecelia Immaculate, IHM, and Rita C. O’Brien; 26 nieces and nephews; 90 great-nieces and nephews; and 60 great-great nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Jan. 11 at Saints Peter and Paul Parish, West Chester, Pennsylvania. Burial at Calvary Cemetery, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
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