A former Record-Herald publisher and past resident of Washington C.H. died last weekend at the age of 77.
Edward P. Hourigan was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and grew up in the Glen Summit section of Mountain Top. He was the son of the late John A. and Katharine (Sue) Mulcahy Hourigan. A member of the 1955 class at Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, Pa., Hourigan also attended Lafayette College. Hourigan went on to enter the United States Air Force where he served four years, completed his degree and graduated from the Mitchel College of Long Island University in New York.
“My dad was a great individual, a very caring man and would give of himself time and time again to anybody that ever needed help,” Ed Hourigan Jr. said during an interview Thursday. “He was a man of few words, but would always enjoy being with people.”
After completing his military duty, Hourigan returned to the Wyoming Valley, where he entered his long-time career in the newspaper industry. He began at the Wilkes-Barre Publishing Company as the advertising manager where he continued until 1980. During this time of his life, he was the recipient of the prestigious Crystal Prism Award, a nationally recognized award for excellence in his field which was presented to him at the Astoria Hotel in Waldorf, N.Y. He also received the Silver Medal Award presented by Northeastern Pennsylvania advertising organizations.
After becoming the advertising director for the Winchester Star newspaper in Virginia in 1981 and working there for a bit of time, he moved to Washington C.H. and served as the publisher for the Record-Herald.
“My father worked at the Record-Herald as the publisher for about three years,” Ed said. “He worked in the newspaper business for about 25 years and has traveled to many places. I remember coming to Washington Court House for the summer and playing on the golf course. We had such a wonderful time in the county.”
After his time in Washington C.H., Hourigan returned to Wilkes-Barre in 1990 and become the publisher of the Citizens Voice shortly thereafter. While serving as publisher, Hourigan spearheaded efforts to create the Sunday Voice, which was first published on May 16, 1993. He served in this publisher position until he retired in 1994.
“The newspaper business was just part of his personality,” Ed said. “He was a regular blood donor and donated in excess of 10 gallons in his lifetime. He always loved his family very much and never put himself ahead of anyone, especially his family. I am very proud to be his son. His life was one well lived.”
Surviving members of his family are his wife, the former Rosalie Caffrey, with whom he celebrated 51 years of marriage on June 20, and sons Edward Jr. and his wife Loriann of Collegeville, Pa., and Joseph of Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
