- Welcome to Daley Life Celebration Studio, where we Celebrate the Color of Life.
Edward “Mickey” “Muscles” McFadden
If it is true that attitudes are contagious, Ed had one worth catching. He didn’t know the meaning of a bad day. With a sense of duty that he may have acquired with the army during WWII, he served Delanco with the Washington Fire Company since 1948. But his talents extended well beyond that. Having a knack to figure out just about anything that makes music, he taught himself how to play the piano, drums accordion, harmonica, vibraharp and could even make a melody with coke bottles and pipe nipples. However, it was the glockenspiel that he enjoyed the most. With it he delighted many a crowd with the Riverside String Band. With clothes that always looked fresh from the dry cleaner, he could usually be found razzing a waitress at a local diner, which was all in good fun. In his younger years Ed had the rare ability to throw a softball over the Riverside Watchcase Building and just about annihilate any set of pins at the end of a bowling lane. rnEd is the uncle of Francis “Butch” (Barbara) McFadden, Joyce (Nick) Loffredo, Paul (Joan) McFadden and Valerie (Tom) Fries, and is great-uncle of Tammy, Tom (Tammy), Tim (Claudia) McFadden and Tom, Jill and Chris Fries. He is survived by his sister-in-law Freda McFadden, and his lifelong best friend Fred McQuade and his children Denise (Frank) Wolf and Fred. Also survived by many great-great nieces and nephews. rnCome celebrate 85 wonderful years Tuesday 7-9 PM and Wednesday from 9:30-10:30 AM at Sweeney Funeral Home, Riverside. Mass of Christian Burial 11 AM Wednesday at St. Peter’s Church, Riverside. Interment St. Peter’s Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be made to the Washington Fire Company, Po Box 5021 Delanco, NJ 08075.rn
3 Comments
I am Frank Wolf’s sister and Brian is my son. “Uncle Ed” treated us like family ever since the first time we ever met! He always had gifts for Brian and me on birthdays, Christmas and even Easter! What a marvelous human being! He will be very missed by both my son and I
I’ve known Mickey my entire life. As a former member of the Riverside String Band. My brother was a member, and my father was a member for 75 years. We were raised with the band. Mickey was literally the “Heart & Soul” of the band. It was Mickey who looked after the band, and always us young kids, who were naturally nervous, when we made our first parade. rnMickey spent as many hours practicing and playing, as he did on the phone, checking to see how many of the guys could make the parade, or to remind them of rehearsal on Wednesday nights. He took care of uniforms, he made sure the band got paid, he took care of the soda and beer on rehearsal nights, and a hundred other small details.rnI can’t remember a parade without Mickey and his bells, the band just didn’t sound right without them.rnWherever we were, or if you wanted to know what was going on, you’d hear someone yell out, “where’s Mickey?” rnHe was truly the most optimistic person I’ve ever known, and the string band could never have lasted without his wonderful character, and spirit.rnSo many of the old timers from the band have passed on before him, and my guess is that right now, God has a really good string band. After all, it just doesn’t sound right without those bells.rnMickey will be missed by many, for a lot of reasons.rn
With sincere condolence for the lost of Mr. McFadden, I will have a Mass offered here in Jerusalem for the happy repose of his soul.rnrnIn Sympthy,rnrnBr. Anthony Sejda, ofm