Edward I. Hover

Edward I. Hover

August 9, 1950 – August 21, 2021

VISITATION: Tuesday, August 24^th from 5pm to 7pm at the West Center Chapel, followed by VIGIL SERVICE at 7pm.  FUNERAL SERVICE: Wednesday, August 25^th at 1pm, West Center Chapel.  Interment: Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.  Memorials will be directed by the family.

To view live broadcasts of the Vigil and Funeral Services, please go to www.heafeyheafey.com and click the “View Live Cast” button on the home page.

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Survived by wife of 47 years, Jerrie (Pane) Hover; sons: Matthew (Katie), Erich, and Andrew; two grandchildren, William and Claire; brother, John (Sandy); sister, Linda Frazier (Randall); brothers-in- law: Tony Pane, Joe Pane (Micki), and Mark Pane (Lisa); sisters-in-law: Angie Waples (Tom), Mary Jo Pane, and Lu Pane; nieces and nephews: Joe and Dan Pane, Allison Guiney and Teddy Pane, Alex and Adam Pane, Kyle, Evan and Emma Pane, Seth, Nathan and Gretchen Hover, Toby Frazier and Becky Davidson. Ed was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Dorothy Hover; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Joe and Marian Pane; and his nephew, Jesse Frazier.

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If there is one thing Ed enjoyed about life, it was life itself. Very much a “work to live” and never a “live to work” guy, Ed loved spending his free time doing the things he loved, before frontotemporal dementia took that away from him far too early. Those things are varied and vast, but the common denominator is largely one thing: the great outdoors. You could always find Ed outside. He LOVED working in his yard and garden, and his corner lot was the envy of the neighborhood, meticulously landscaped, all by him and the indentured servitude of his three sons. Ed loved to hunt pheasants, quail and turkeys and to fish and fly-fish, passing along those loves to his sons. Family vacations were almost always to a location where fishing and camping were involved, with the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota and the Snowy Range of Wyoming being two particular favorites. Ed loved plants and plant ecology, and had an encyclopedic memory of virtually every plant species, including its Latin name. He particularly loved prairies and wildflowers, doing his Masters thesis on prescribed burns on the family prairie in Sarpy County. He was a willing participant for many prairie scheduled burns around the area. Ed loved music. Whether at home or in the car, he always had music on. That love of music was one thing that never left him during his lengthy illness, and music was incredibly therapeutic for him and his family during that time. Ed officiated football, basketball, softball and volleyball for decades, and also coached his sons in little league baseball. He was a voracious reader, sometimes reading more than a book a week. He played racquetball, volleyball, and,  for many decades, fast-pitch softball, making many lifelong friends from his softball teammates. He loved watching sports as well, especially his alma-mater UNO’s football, basketball and hockey teams, and was an original season ticket holder for UNO hockey.

More than anything, Ed loved his wife and sons, and when they arrived, his grandchildren. A man of few words, he might not say “I love you” too often, but with a look from him, you instantly knew how much he loved you.

Ed’s family would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the many family and friends that have helped us for the duration of his illness. We would also like to send special thanks to Mallory, Stacey, Elizabeth and all the staff at Esprit Whispering Ridge for the love and care they gave Ed during his stay with them over the last year of his life. We owe you a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.