Lieutenant Colonel Edward Joseph Szamski, Army Artillery, Retired, died December 21, 2006 at the age of 92. Col. Ed was the oldest of five children born on September 2, 1914 to James and Helen Cyrak Szamski in Baltimore, Md. He was the husband of Edith "Yadzia" (Yankoski) Szamski. They were married on Nov. 20 1945 in Baltimore, Md. Edith died on Jan. 26, 1997. During his youth, he was a Middle Atlantic States soccer player. He was a low handicap golfer through out his adult life. He was a pioneer car route sales representative for Rath Packing Co., Waterloo, Iowa. Later in his life he was in sales / design of Commercial Interiors. His total retirement was in 1977. During World War II as an army artillery officer in Africa and Europe, he was awarded seven battle campaign stars and the bronze arrow head for these invasions. One was for a landing on D-Day H plus 10 minutes in Southern France. Among the Colonel's decorations are the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Under decree by foreign countries, he was awarded the Luxembourg Croix De Guerre, the Belgium Croix De Guerre, the French Croix De Guerre and the Belgian Fourragere. Lt. Col. Ed Szamski was the brother of the late Margaret Smoot, Anna Mossmiller of Riviera Beach, Md., the late Cecelia Powder, and Leo Szamski of Baltimore, Md. He was the father of Toni Nagel-Smith and her husband Thomas Smith of Pound Ridge, New York and the grandfather of Jeff Nagel and Chris Smith. He was a life member of The Retired Officers Assoc. and the Reserve Officers Assoc. Services: A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday December 27 at 10am at The Cathedral of St. Catherine of Siena in Allentown to be followed by a military burial at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery at 12:30pm. Calling times are on Tuesday Dec.26 from 6:30-8:30PM and from 8:30-9:30AM on Wednesday Dec 27 at Weber Funeral Home, 1619 Hamilton St, Allentown (www.weberfuneralhomes.com) Contributions: to a charity of ones choice.