KANKAKEE â Edwin âEdâ James Mullady, 94, of Kankakee, died peacefully on Sunday (Dec. 13, 2020) after a short illness. Loving husband, father, son, brother, grandfather and great-grandfather, Ed was a kind man whose life was devoted to preserving the environment, in particular the Kankakee River. In 2009, the Bourbonnais Friendship Festival committee asked him to be the grand marshal of their grand parade.
At the time, local writer Mary Ann Kirsch wrote a lovely article about Ed, and she has graciously allowed his family to include portions of it here:
âSelecting Ed Mullady as the Grand Marshall for this yearâs Grand Parade was truly a simple choice. For, if there were an official River Keeper for the Kankakee, he would be the choice, hands down. It is a role heâs taken on for well over 50 years and one he will hang on to as long as he can.
Dale Bowman
Ed Mullady said “croppie” instead of “crappie” when referring to the popular panfish. The quirk made me smile. He died Sunday at 94. In his wake, Mr. Mullady left a hole in Kankakee River conservation. He left untouchable records for outdoors media. He left an extended family that remains active in the outdoors. He left a hole in the hearts of us who love the Kankakee. In reflecting, I realized he was 40 years into his outdoors media career when I started doing the Chicago Sun-Times outdoors column. Yet he took my phone calls every week. He didn’t have to. The late John Husar was the colossus covering the outdoors for the Tribune. Yet Mr. Mullady gave me time every week. We bounced ideas off each other, frankly and openly. Then those conversations diminished and stopped as his health declined the last decade.