Obituary of Edward McQuade

Edward McQuade was born on June 15, 1927 in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, where his Irish ancestors lived at the turn of the 20th century. Although he was an only child, his mother Ann was the oldest of nine children and his father Edward was the second youngest of seven children so he was always surrounded by many loving relatives. His parents started out as carpet sewers and managed to save enough money to open their own bar and grill in Sunnyside where they moved to with their young son. Despite growing up during the Depression years, Edward always had a comfortable childhood and fond memories living down the street from St. Teresa's, where he went to school and played hockey with all his friends in the schoolyard. He also loved spending summers with his aunts, uncles and cousins at the Hudson Guild Farm in New Jersey, becoming a strong swimmer from his early days spent in the farm's watering hole. When he turned 18, Edward did what many young men were doing during the WWII years and enlisted in the Navy with his friend Tommy. He was stationed in the Pacific and got to see San Diego, San Francisco, Hawaii and other Pacific islands. When he received word that his father died of a heart condition and since he was an only child, Edward was discharged from service and returned home to help his mother run the family business. Back in Sunnyside, Edward soon met his wife Grace. He lived on 44th Street and Grace lived right across the church courtyard on 45th Street. Grace always had her eye on the handsome older boy who wore a yellow sweater to school and now as a teenager one of her girlfriends Joan happened to be his first cousin. One weekend, Joan invited Grace up to the Hudson Guild Farm and Edward and Grace were together ever since, marrying at St. Teresa's almost 70 years ago on April 30, 1949. By then, the McQuade's bar and grill had transformed into a lively establishment called the Melody Lounge. The bar and music lounge became so popular and jam-packed that it drew budding people like Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney and Nancy Sinatra. Grace and her best friend Mary would get all dolled up and have the best seats in the house when they arrived at the Melody, where Edward helmed the bar with his two bar buddies Artie and Tweety. Artie would go on to marry Grace's sister Margaret. And Tweety eventually married Grace's friend Mary. The Melody Lounge provided happy times for many young newlyweds in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the post-war years also sent many of these young couples to the suburbs to start families and the Melody Lounge eventually had to close. Soon after, Edward and Grace welcomed a baby boy Edmund. Around this time, Edward visited his Aunt Cookie in a pretty town called Pinecliff Lake in New Jersey. It reminded Edward of his years up at the farm so he and Grace bought a summer house right across from the lake, where Edmund and eventually his younger sister Grace got to enjoy through their childhoods. Daughter Grace has fond memories of swimming all day at the lake and going fishing with her father during the tranquil, pre-sunset hours. Edward and Grace eventually followed Grace's sister Margaret and her family to New Hyde Park, where they moved in 1978, seeing their children through school and into adulthood. They became grandparents to Edmund and his wife Patti's three beautiful children, Edmund, Peter and Claire, who Edward loved very much. Through the years there were many memorable vacations and good times for the family spent at a beach club in Atlantic Beach and at Edward's beloved N.Y. Giants games, a tradition he started with his own father, going up to the Polo Grounds to watch the team as a young boy, and that he has passed on to his namesakes. Edward's daughter Grace will always remember how her father would insist upon picking her up during her many years living in the city whenever she wanted to come out to their house, and he always – rain or shine – greeted her at the bus stop when she took the express bus home. She will miss that. Over the years, whenever the family would call the house and ask "how's it going," Edward's signature response was "things are peaceful and quiet." These simple words were always reassuring and soothing to hear amid our busy lives. Edward was not only beloved by his family. He was popular on the block where he lived, with many of the neighbors often shooting the breeze with him on the front porch. When he became sick and then sicker, all of his doctors rallied and were available whenever he needed them even when he showed up without an appointment. The pharmacists at Duane Reade would see him and eventually his daughter coming and always asked how he was doing, wishing him the best. And in his final days, all of the doctors and nurses in the CCU unit of the hospital were by his side, saying how much they all loved him. While his whole medical team got off duty at 7 p.m., they all stayed with him until he passed at around 9 p.m. on Friday. Edward led a long and wonderful life. Although he will be greatly missed by many, his family would want him to know that they will be okay and that "things are peaceful and quiet." Visitation will be Tuesday, July 17 from 2-5PM and 7-9PM at Edward D. Lynch Funeral Home, Inc, 43-07 Queens Boulevard, Sunnyside, NY. A Funeral Mass will be held 10:15 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at St. Teresa RCC, 44th Street And 50th Avenue, Woodside, NY. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Woodside following the Mass.