Edgar Lee Love Jr.

Edgar Lee Love, 91, of New Smyrna Beach, FL died peacefully with family by his side. Ed was born in West Point, NY. He was a WWII Veteran who came from a lineage of West Pointers. Egner Hall is named after his maternal Grandfather, the late Captain Philip Egner, who composed “On Brave Old Army Team and “The Official West Point March”, and served as the Band Commander for 25 years. Ed had a passion for the arts. He was a talented director and thespian at both the Manila Theatre Guild in the Philippines, and The Little Theatre of New Smyrna Beach, where he was a life member. His work included The Rose Tattoo, Three Men on a Horse, Stalag 13, Harvey and Plaza Suite to name a few. In his later years he volunteered for Habitat for Humanity in New Smyrna Beach. Ed and his wife, Bianca, met in the 3rd grade in North Bergen, NJ. They were instantly smitten with each other, and were married on 9-16-51. Ed is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, Bianca Vignone Love; his children, Philip (Diana) Love, Thomas (Kathy-deceased) Love, Marina (Bernie) Benigno, Lori Knight, and Jonathan Love; his sister, Phyllis “Sis” Kienz; his grandchildren, Sean (Bridget) Knight and Lindsey (Pete) Mason; and his great-grandchildren, Sidney and Audrey Rose. Ed will be remembered for his zest for life, his talent for making people laugh, and above all, his devotion to his family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Emory L. Bennett Memorial Veterans Nursing Home in Daytona Beach, FL. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all of the wonderful staff and caregivers at Emory L. Bennett. The love, care, and comfort they provided, not just to Ed, but to the entire family means so much to us. Thank you so very much. The family will celebrate Ed’s life at a memorial service at a later date.