Edgar E. Courtemanch

Edgar Edmund Courtemanch of Columbia, MD, born April 18, 1943 in Bridgeport, CT, passed away on October 19, 2025. He was predeceased by his parents, Edgar N. Courtemanch and Eleanor Irene Madden Courtemanch. Many things were true of Ed, but key features were his love of his family, his generous nature, his belief in service of country and community, and, never to be forgotten, his love of trains. He took great pride in the accomplishments of his family and wrote extensively about it, highlighting his loving, generous nature even in his closing words.

Ed’s interest in railroads began at a very early age. As a young child, when walking with his mother to and from a nearby shopping area, Ed would pitch a fit when they crossed over the New Haven Railroad tracks and did not wait for a train, regardless of the weather. He attended Notre Dame Catholic High School and then received his Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University, which enabled him to build a long career supporting all things train.

He first served as a first lieutenant in the United States Army on active duty from 1967 to 1969, initially at Ft. Eustis, VA, and later at the Movement Control Center of Saigon Support Command, overseeing all common user ground transportation each night. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service, as he would often say, the men learned they could rely on him to not only get them military supplies, but to also provide preferred beer. From his time in Vietnam, Ed developed one of his mantras: “You must never do nothing.”

His later career involved stints with the Baltimore & Ohio and Chesapeake & Ohio Railroads, before embarking on a storied career at Amtrak from its infancy in 1971 until his retirement at the end of 2017, earning the status of the longest employee of Amtrak to date. The assignment he most enjoyed was as Hudson Line Project Manager for the takeover by Amtrak from CSX.

Ed is survived by his brother, David Courtemanch, David’s family, and Ed’s five children (or as he termed them “offsprung”): Stephen Edmund Courtemanch (married to Sulasri), Edgar Michael Courtemanch (married to Jennifer), Laurel Sharai Burall (married to Kyle), Dwight Robert Daniel Courtemanch, and Patrick Matthew Courtemanch (married to Amber). He is also survived by five grandchildren: Stephen Eugene Courtemanch, Edgar John Courtemanch, Ian Keith Burall, Matthew Bimo Suryo Courtemanch, and Layla Katherine Burall.

A memorial service will be held honoring Ed’s life on November 13, 2025 at 2:30pm at the Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City, MD with a reception to further celebrate his life to follow at the Elkridge Fire Department. His ashes will later be placed at Arlington National Cemetery, in a private ceremony. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, or the National Capital Trolley Museum, where Ed volunteered in “retirement” driving street cars along railroad tracks for tours.