Edward Francis Clancy, Jr.

CWO-4 (BOSN) Edward F. Clancy, Jr., U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Retired, 79, of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, beloved husband of the late Betty (Martin) Clancy of Baltimore, MD passed away on Thursday, June 6th, 2024. His wife Betty was his best friend and the love of his life for over 50 years, and prior to moving to Jacksonville Beach in 2003 they had resided in Ocean City, MD; Pasadena, MD; Honolulu, HI (twice); Charleston, SC; Cape May, NJ; San Francisco, CA, and Baltimore, MD during Ed’s 30-year military career and afterwards.

 Edward was born on 1 January 1945 in Washington, D.C. to the late Margaret S. Clancy and Edward F. Clancy, Sr., ENCM, USCG (Ret.), and grew up in many locales throughout the U.S. during his late father’s USCG career. Edward graduated from North Quincy High School in Quincy, MA, attended college in Quincy, MA and Cape May, NJ, and joined the USCG in 1965. 

 His first shipboard assignment after enlistment and a short tour of duty at the USCG Yard in Baltimore, MD, was on the Wind-Class polar icebreaker USCGC Southwind (Baltimore, MD) which plied the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern (Antarctic) Ocean, and Arctic Ocean enroute to the Arctic and Antarctic, and completed liberty port-of-calls in Greenland and other ports in the Arctic, the Eastern Canadian Provinces, both coasts of North and South America, New Zealand, Australia, McMurdo Sound and many other stops on the Antarctic continent, the east coast of Africa, and numerous other ports during Southwind’s around-the-world cruise. 

 Edward rose through the enlisted ranks to Chief Quartermaster, was commissioned a Chief Warrant Officer (CWO-2) in the Boatswain (Seamanship) specialty in early 1977 and retired from active duty as a CWO-4 (BOSN) in January 1996. During his service career, in addition to USCGC Southwind (Baltimore, MD), he served on the USCGC Unimak (Cape May, NJ); USCGC Midgett (San Francisco, CA); USCGC Buttonwood (Honolulu, HI); USCGC Alert (Cape May, NJ); USCGC Papaw (Charleston, SC); USCGC Mellon (Honolulu, HI); USCGC Munro (Honolulu, HI); and USCGC Red Birch (Baltimore, MD). His shore duty assignments included a short tours of duty at: the USCG Yard (Baltimore, MD); Joint Rescue Coordination Center/JRCC (Honolulu, HI):, USCG Headquarters/Cutter Division (Washington, D.C.) where he wrote the USCG Shipboard Personal Qualifications Standards Manual, and 3 assignments as the Shipyard Docking Pilot at the USCG Yard in Curtis Bay, MD from where he retired from active duty on 31 January 1996. 

 Edward’s military awards included: USCG Commendation Medal (with one Gold Star denoting a second award); USCG Achievement Medal (with Operational Distinguishing Device / ODD); USCG Commandant’s Letter of Commendation (with ODD); Secretary of Transportation’s Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon; USCG Unit Commendation Ribbon (with ODD and one Gold Star); USCG Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon (with ODD); USCG Team Commendation Ribbon (with one Gold Star); USCG “E” Ribbon (with two Gold Stars); USCG Bicentennial Unit Commendation Ribbon; USCG Good Conduct Medal (with one Bronze Star); National Defense Service Medal (with one Bronze Star); USCG Humanitarian Service Medal; Arctic Service Medal (with one Bronze Star); Antarctic Service Medal (with one Bronze Star); USCG Sea Service Ribbon (with one Silver and one Bronze Stas denoting over 20 years sea duty); USCG Expert Rifle Medal (with “E” Device); and USCG Expert Pistol (with “E” Device. He earned the Permanent Cutterman’s Insignia for both Enlisted (Silver) and Commissioned Officer (Gold) in his over 20 years of sea duty. He continued his off-duty education during and after his service career and graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts degree and later a Master of Arts degree from the same institution. 

 After moving to Jacksonville Beach, Edward worked for Florida Community College at Jacksonville (later Florida State College at Jacksonville) as a Project Coordinator, Instructional Program Coordinator, and Adjunct Instructor from 2003 until 2013. During this period he developed and taught numerous maritime security, maritime licensing, and other credit and non-credit classes to a wide customer base, including law enforcement professionals, security consultants, and shipboard Masters and Mates. 

 Edward was a current member of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA), the American Legion, and had previously been a member of the USCG Chief Warrant and Warrant Officers Association, USCG Chief Petty Officer’s Association, and the National Rifle Association (NRA). He was also a charter member and past Chairman of the USCGC Southwind Association.

 Preceded in death by his wife Betty, his best friend and love of his life for over 50 years. Edward was also preceded in death by his brother, Robert W. Clancy, BUCS, USN, (Ret.). Edward’s survivors include: his sister Eileen C. Biegel and family of Southport, NC; his sister-in-law Deanna Jean Gruzs and her husband Walter and family of Joppa, MD; his sister-in-law Janet Montgomery and her husband the late George Montgomery and family of Baltimore, MD; and numerous nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephew, other relatives, and many friends.

 A Celebration of Life will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday, October 26m, 2024 in Hull Street Cafe in Baltimore, MD . Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA will full military honors.

 In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to: The Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Center, 2490 Giles Road, Baltimore, MD 21225, (410) 396-4695undefined(508) 362-8521undefined OR The Coast Guard Heritage Museum, 3353 Main Street (Route 6A), Barnstable, MA 02630 undefined.