Edward Harrison Albright, 93, died September 28, 2015, in Geneva, Illinois.

Ed was born August 22, 1922, in Glendale, California, to Fred and Lestelle Albright, their second son and third child. Growing up, he was interested in sports and journalism. He married Darry Lee Anderson in 1942 and had four children with her. During World War II, Ed served in the Army Air Corps as a second lieutenant, earning his wings and training flight navigators in Texas. Following the tragic deaths of Darry and the children in January 1951, Ed moved to Wheaton, Illinois, to live with his aunt and uncle, working as a pilot for United Airlines. He began attending College Church with his aunt and uncle, where he accepted Christ under the ministry of Dr. Carl Armerding. His cousin introduced him to the girl next door, Marilyn Gustafson, and the two were married on April 4, 1953, in College Church. They raised six children in Wheaton, where Ed regularly played volleyball and tennis into his 80s.

Ed's favorite vacation spots included Yosemite National Park and Death Valley National Park. Hawaii was also a special repeat destination, after he and Marilyn honeymooned there. International travels included Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and the Philippines to visit missionary pilot son Dick; and Western Europe, including Scandinavia. But Ed enjoyed being home the most, where his daily routine included crossword and scrambled word puzzles, and TV game shows.

Captain E. H. Albright retired from United Airlines in 1982 after 31 years of service. While describing his farewell flight on his 60th birthday, he choked up as he told guests, "Of course, the best part was that Marilyn was with me the whole way." On his 75th birthday, he was honored by a big crowd which included his brothers Fred from California and John Brannon from New York.

In 2006, Ed and Marilyn sold the Wheaton house they had built in 1970 and moved to The Holmstad retirement community in Batavia, where they enjoyed social activities and continued to host family events in their spacious townhome. But every Sunday, Ed continued to drive the two of them to College Church in Wheaton for the morning service. Outliving his sister, brothers, and many friends, Ed loved sports and vanilla ice cream till the end.

Ed is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Marilyn; children Ed (Deanna) Albright of Golden, CO; Dick (Roslyn) Albright of Winfield, IL; David Albright of Huntington Beach, CA; Nancy (Bob) Nehmer of Winfield, IL; Marilou Cook of St. Paul, MN; and Barb (Chad) Hinds of Plano, TX; 14 grandchildren; and 6 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held on Friday, October 2, 2015, from 4:00-8:00 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., Wheaton, IL. The funeral service will be held on Saturday, October 3, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. at College Church , 332 E. Seminary Ave., Wheaton, IL. Burial will follow at the Wheaton Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the College Church Missions Fund , 332 E. Seminary Ave., Wheaton, IL, and the Evangelical Child & Family Agency , 1530 N. Main St., Wheaton, IL.