When I joined the Gunster family seven years ago, I was truly blessed to have Ed as my hallway neighbor and one of my first friends to welcome me with open arms. It cannot be said enough how infectious his smile and positivity for life every day has influenced so many. I will miss our times of story telling and his big bear hugs, but know he will always hold an important memory in my life and career. My heart and prayers go out to you all. Crystal

To the Tancer Family: I had the pleasure of working with Ed at Gunster. He was one of the most kind and positive people I have known, always smiling and willing to help others. His tragic passing has inspired me to look for more ways to help others and try to leave this world a better place. Our community and the Gunster family will miss him dearly. My deepest condolences, Roger.

I met Ed on his 40th birthday when I stopped by his office to introduce myself as his new HR advisor, while a sultry Marylin Monroe sang happy birthday to him in full costume as a prank from Bob McGrath. We met at least twice a month for over 20 years usually over breakfast at loggerhead or Starbucks where everyone knew his name and order by heart. HE also knew their children’s names and life stories. Our breakfast meetings started with our corporate aspirations, and political strategies. They naturally progressed to talking about impactful moments in our lives and I thought I would touch on some of the moments as they related to Ed’s family as this website is for them.
When Susan became very ill many years ago and had to face the possibility of death, it was the first time I saw Ed cry. He could not imagine life without his best friend. He was in complete awe of her strength. She did not break down while hearing bad news from doctors or visits to MD Anderson, instead she comforted him. He said that she inspired him to be a better man. They both worked together to help others. Ed would find a person’s strength and connect them with someone who could help develop that strength. More often than not, that person was Susan. She helped so many new businesses build their marketing plans and would connect them to her network, including me when I dabbled in a retail start up.
When he spoke of Harrison he admired his ability to handle situations in stride and his strength to always stay calm; even when he forgot to wear shoes during the mad dash for middle school. He really showcased Harrison’s amazing music ability when he was Ed’s featured entertainment during his 50th birthday party. It seemed to me that Ed and Harrison had the same love for music, the Florida Gators and desire to help others.
Of course, Leah came up in every conversation as he advised me on how to keep dialogue going with a teenage daughter, which included a special daughter/father weekly date a loggerhead. He talked about Leah’s amazing strength of connecting to others emotionally. She has the unique ability, just like her dad, to find ways to help others and to really listen to people’s dreams. In fact, at Ed’s vigil as Leah said hello to me, she offered to help my son land a job at her company instead of focusing on herself and the tremendous fear she must have been feeling.
Ed was there for me during job changes, finding my second career, naming my daughter who shared his birthdate, medical scares, and when I felt insecure. He believed in me, listened intently, and helped me out of dark times in my life. The amazing thing is, I was not alone. I know for a fact that he did this for so many people, including my own family. I am going to miss our conversations and his friendship. However, I do believe that he has become my guardian angel and when I need encouragement and love I will say a prayer to Ed. Thank you Tancer family for being a part of my life – I love you all very much!

Kaile and I send our sincere condolences out to Susan, Leah, Harrison and the entire Tancer family. We will miss Ed dearly. I knew of Ed at his time at NextEra Energy, but since I was younger in my career, we didn't have a chance to interact while he was with the company. A few years after he joined Gunster, when Val Perez and I were working on the Education Foundation board and looking for another community leader to bring on, Val suggested we play golf with Ed. I still remember that outing and our effort to "Tancer" Ed into getting involved with the EF. That began a wonderful working relationship and friendship. We worked as a group for years to reimage the organization and made big changes -- with Ed leading much of that effort. Don't worry, Ed ended up returning the favor more than a few times (!), including getting me to do the Hundred Hole Hike for Bella's Angels twice. I enjoyed -- and will miss -- our meetings over coffee and lunch to discuss family and my career. Ed was a special person, and definitely someone who cared so much for others and wanted to make connections in order to help others. One final story I'd like to share involves him coming over to our house to meet our second child, Brooks, when he was born. Ed -- always thinking of others -- brought one thing with him when he came over -- a doll for our first child, our daughter Madison. That doll became known, affectionately, as Baby Eddie. Ed knew that Brooks was going to be getting a lot of attention, and so he brought something for Madison (thinking about her as well at that time). We know Ed is upstairs working to connect folks and bring a smile to others' faces. We will be thinking of the family as they mourn his passing.

Susan;

My heart goes out to you and your children. I am so proud that I could call Ed a friend of mine and I am struggling with his loss. I only met you over a FaceTime consult for your Dry Eye problem, but look forward to meeting you in person and being able to give you a hug once Covid is behind us. Ed was so good to both me and my son, Aidan. He had such a knack for seeing a need and connecting people to fill that need. Ed invited me to the Yale golf course a few years ago for an Outpost Tourney but made sure I brought my son so he could meet his friend Colin Sheehan, the Yale golf coach. My son, Aidan, at the time was in High School and trying to figure things out about school and golf. Ed loved Aidan’s golf swing and golf game and would send videos of his swing to his golf coach buddy at Yale. Aidan and Ed really hit it off. Ed could get silly with the best of them and he and Aidan would exchange goofy videos and texts. Once Aidan met the Yale golf coach, it lit a fire under him to aspire to play golf at a great academic institution. Although he didn’t end up at Yale, Ed certainly helped Aidan reach for excellence which he is still doing today. Aidan is now at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver on a golf scholarship. We cried together over FaceTime when I told him about Ed passing.

Ed invited me to the Inverness member-guest in Toledo last August. Inverness is a golf course I never had the opportunity to play but always wanted that chance. It is a championship golf course where I personally watched one of the most famous endings in golf history, Bob Tway sinking a bunker shot on the last hole to win the PGA Championship when I was in Medical School there in the mid-eighties. Ed made not just one round but two rounds happen for me. He also was gracious enough to rent the house across the street to provide added convenience and safety while we were there. During those two days, Ed talked to me about some of his charity work and asked if I could donate a foursome at Muirfield Village in Columbus Ohio to an upcoming charity auction. Of course I agreed and told him I would love to attend the golf outing/auction at the end of April, our birthdays. Ed and I were born the same week of the same year. Mine is April 25, 1961. I always joked that he was an old fart compared to me. Of course, Covid hit and the golf outing/auction was postponed in late April and Ed only told me it would be rescheduled. A few weeks ago, I had my last conversation with Ed. We talked about everything going on in each of our worlds and how Covid was messing with everything. Ed then told me the auction for his charity was a success while I was surprised to hear it even transpired. He said my auction item was so successful and the bidding was going so high between two bidders that he just gave both of them the identical item. (That meant I had just donated two foursomes rather than one). I proceeded to tell Ed what a big asshole he was for doing that (kidding of course but doing my best to get the best of him and his reaction). He apologetically responded how it helped raise so much money and how he would somehow make it up to me. I then busted out laughing giving up my acting at being upset and we both laughed for quite a while. I then proceeded to tell Ed that I knew exactly how he could make it up to me. He would have to get us a round of golf at Seminole. He told me how difficult that was going to be to pull off but I wasn’t having any of it. I was counting on that round with him….

I always enjoyed playing golf with Ed. He was purist. We are the same that way. He was a man not big on “things” but big on experiences and big on people. He was the kind of person who made you feel special and made you better. I will miss him dearly.

My deepest sympathy to you and your children.

Jim


D. James Schumer, M.D.

Medical Director
ReVision Lasik and Cataract

We took a couples' trip to Sea Island for Golf School with Eddie & Susan, and Kitty & Larry Silverstein After days of technical lessons, Jim left and could not hit the ball 50 yards off the tee, and of course they provided him a video of his lessons. The next golf event was the Old Marsh Men's Member/Member. It was the last match and Jim and Sandy Bonvechio were playing Ed and Lew Hay. It got down to the last hole, and the Larschan/Bonvechio team sunk a putt to win the match. Ed always wanted a rematch, and his standing joke to Jim was "Hey Jim, make sure you watch your Sea Island golf tape before we play". So many great memories of Ed. He was larger than life. It's amazing to me to hear all the stories from so many people who feel exactly the same way, and to realize Ed impacted this many lives in his short life. How did he fit all that goodness into 59 years? He makes me want to strive to be better in everything I do. We love you Susan, Leah & Harrison.

Ed Tancer has been a constant in my life ever since I joined the FPL/NEE family in 1999. Ed was the one who greeted me at the FPL entrance at my first interview back then, and from that moment forward, I always knew I had a friend I could count on and wanted to be that same kind of friend to him. Ed has been a key figure in supporting my career, watched my family grow up, and we partnered on so many community initiatives over the years. When Ed managed the NEE law department, he would meet with those of us who were in supervisory roles after hours to address administrative issues and stay connected. Somehow, sitting in that conference room after hours, we always had such a great time together and so many belly laughs. I still vividly remember Ed laughing himself to tears and I would laugh so hard it would hurt. Ed and those guys were, and still are, my brothers and he was the one who brought us together. As the years went on and I took on a new role at NEE and he joined the Gunster firm, I was often "Tancerized" as it has been called, and I took it as a badge of honor, whether it was working together to provide back packs for the Sheriff's back to school initiative, or when I agreed to be on a peloton team for the AHA, or so many other situations, they were always to help someone else.
Susan, please know you can count on the Rauch family for anything you need. Harrison and Leah, I hope that we can be there for you, the way Ed has been there for me and my family. Ed has one of the most amazing legacies that will live on forever.

Eddie and I met in the first grade. We were neighbors in Palm Springs. I remember playing games , football etc with all the neighborhood kids in the street. We were in Hebrew school together and he taught me how to skip class without getting in trouble. Always the diplomat! We were in class all the way thru high school sharing our dislike of Hebrew school and love of chorus and music. We went to rival colleges and one day I walked into an FPl meeting and there he was. Skinny Eddie in a suit and professional. We laughed and teased each other at how much we changed . He always talked about his love of Susan
And was so devoted to Susan , Leah and Harrison. I will miss all the pastel golf shirt pics and his amazing.photoshop birthday pics to me every year. My heartfelt condolences to Susan , Leah and Harrison and the entire Tancer family. He loved you more than anything, May his life be a blessing.

I met Eddie in 2003 when I was beginning my transition from Pennsylvania to Florida. I met his family soon thereafter. I quickly fell in love with this open, loving, friendly, and beneficent family! Since then, my life has been blessed again and again by having Eddie and the other Tancers in it. Every time Eddie and I met or talked again, no matter whether the time in between had been long or short, our conversation picked-up as if no time had passed. It was almost as if I were part of his family or he were part of mine. We talked on many of those occasions about people for whom we were concerned or other things that we wanted to accomplish. I never remember him being petty, nor jealous, nor selfish—only wondering how he could help or how he could get me to help. His unexpected absence is leaving a hole in my heart that I know many others share—especially his precious family. May God bless your soul, Eddie, and help the rest of us to navigate this tricky world without your help.

I remember when I was around 10 years old and I went to bring Teddy and Spike over to the Tancer’s house down the street to see Charlie for a bit. I dropped my dogs off in their backyard with Charlie. As I tried to leave, the dogs surrounded the gate so I couldn’t get out. I left the gate, walked to the middle of the backyard, grabbed a ball, and through it in the opposite direction. The 3 tiny dogs darted to the ball, tripping me and breaking my left arm, a clean break all the way through the bone. I was in huge pain and went to the sliding glass back door of the house and knocked on it. I was in tears waiting for someone to let me in. Ed came to the door, opened it, and asked “You come over for some strawberry milk?” I started laughing a bit through the tears. At the Tancer’s house, they had this Hershey Strawberry Syrup filled with sugar that they poured into some milk making the best Strawberry Milk. I always loved getting some when I was over. Ed got me a glass with a smile, even though I definitely woke him up as it was quite early, he talked to me for a bit about the dogs and my golfing, and sent me back on my way. Seeing Ed that day and getting that glass of milk totally made me forget that I had hurt my arm. I went another 2 days without telling my parents about my arm because I just forgot, seeing Ed that day shined over the pain of my arm just because he helped me and brighten my morning. I didn’t see Ed all too much as I grew up and my family eventually moved away, but this memory of the first bone I broke has always stuck with me. I will miss Ed. Whenever my parents invited the Tancer’s over, it was less of a boring dinner with adults, but more of a funny conversation with Ed. Thank you for being so bright, Ed, and being a joy to me, my sisters, my mom, and my dad, and of course, my puppies. Thank you, we will miss you greatly.