Edward R. Falkner's Obituary
Ed, twin sister, Norma, and older brother, Bernie were raised in Shaker Heights by their parents Jacob and Ruth Falcovich, immigrants from Russia. Ed attended Shaker Public Schools and later received his DDS from the Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine, where he was affectionately known as "Jinx." As one of the first specialists in Cleveland to practice endodontics, he saved thousands of teeth over the span of 52 years, retiring only at age 80. It was not unusual for a former patient to stop him on the street and point out that a repair he had made was still solidly in place, 40 years later. He married Joan Cole of Cleveland Heights and had three children, Nancy, Jimmy, and Douglas. His greatest joy in life was family, and one of his most frequent complaints was that not all of them lived nearby. Ed was constantly on the move. He played and taught tennis in his younger years, and wrestled competitively through college. He and his wife Joan enjoyed season tickets to symphony and theater and traveled the world together. His children fondly remember bike riding, sledding, flying kites, and enjoying nature with their father. He could often be found running, biking, swimming, skiing, or picking up sticks in the yard-physical activity and being outdoors were his tonics. He was jogging and riding his bike for exercise long before it was a trend. He found challenge in keeping fit and continued to do daily pushups before breakfast into the latter half of his 92nd year. His final bicycle ride around the neighborhood was on May 13, 2020. Ed leaves behind Joan, his wife of 66 years; his children, Nancy (Louis), Jimmy (Kelly), and Douglas (Ellen); his grandchildren, Katie (Gavin), Annie, Perrin, Elliot, Ari, Noah, and Gahl, and his great-granddaughter, Gemma. Please consider a donation in Edward's memory to the Hospice of the Western Reserve.
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