<< Back

Edward Glaessmann Jr.
06/16/2026

Edward “Ed” Glaessmann Jr., 62, of Easton, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on June 16, 2026 after a courageous battle with gastric adenocarcinoma, surrounded by the people he loved most. Born on March 2, 1964, Ed lived a life defined not by the years he was given, but by the depth of love and loyalty he poured into every one of them.

Ed was a proud graduate of Salisbury High School, Class of 1982. He spent over 42 years in the trucking industry, a career he was immensely proud of. He began as a truck mechanic at 19, after graduating from Ohio Diesel Technical Institute in Cleveland. Over the decades, he built a distinguished career, from Hauser’s Truck Service to 29 years with Penske Truck Leasing, where he rose to a managerial role in the corporate offices in Reading. He credited that chapter to a mentor who believed in him, and he never stopped being grateful for that.

Ed’s greatest joy came later in life, in a love that he hadn’t expected. He met Andrea by chance on a walk in Center Valley, where he had lived for several years but she had only been passing through. When his cancer diagnosis came, Andrea — his Brooklyn Angel, as he called her — stayed by his side without hesitation. They married in September 2024 surrounded by family on a beautiful late summer day, celebrating after with a stroll through downtown Easton and wedding cake tucked away in a quiet corner of the city. Easton held a special place for them — the city of their first date, where so many good memories were made, and where they built a beautiful home together that Ed and Andrea were enormously proud of.

Ed is survived by his beloved wife, Andrea Glaessmann, and a family who embraced him as their own. Through her, he gained three sons whom he loved deeply and who filled him with pride: Vincent Bolognese, his wife Angela, and their daughter Evangeline of Brooklyn, New York; James Bolognese, his wife Alexandra, and their daughter Bernadette of Portland, Oregon; and Anthony Bolognese, his wife Jennifer, and their son Luca of Chatham, New Jersey. To his grandchildren, he was Opa — a role that brought him immeasurable joy. 

He is also survived by his devoted mother, Doris Glaessmann of Allentown, Pennsylvania; his brother Robert and his wife Kristyn of Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho; his cousin Dieter Rode and his wife Lisa of Kunkletown, Pennsylvania; and a loving extended family who meant the world to him. He was preceded in death by his father, Edward Glaessmann Sr.

Ed was also blessed with a brotherhood of lifelong friends – men he had known for 50 years, since their days playing football together in high school. They were constants in his life: at Penn State games, around the poker table, and at every moment that counted. He called them family, and meant it.

Ed’s family extends their deepest gratitude to the doctors, nurses, technicians, and staff at St. Luke’s Oncology and especially St. Luke’s Hospice. Their care and support will be cherished and remembered always.

A public viewing will be held on Thursday, June 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Nicos C. Elias Funeral Home, 1227 W. Hamilton St, Allentown, PA 18102. A private funeral service for family and close friends will follow on Friday morning, with interment at Historic Easton Cemetery, a place Ed and Andrea chose together, full of meaning and memories.

“I am a rich man — and it has nothing to do with money.”

—Edward Glaessmann Jr.