Edward Colace

Edward Colace, 91, of Franklin, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at Milford Regional Medical Center, following a brief illness. He was the beloved husband of Maria (Ferri) Colace, who died in 2024.

Edward was born on February 13th, 1935, in Santa Maria del Molise, Italy, to two loving parents, Olinto and Cesina (Taddeo) Colace. In September of 1947, he immigrated to the United States with his mother. After arriving in America, he attended and graduated from Dean Academy in 1954, Northeastern University with an Electrical Engineering degree in 1959, and later earned his Masters Degree in Education from Framingham State.

In 1960, he joined the United States Armed Forces, serving two years in the Army Signal Corps at Fort Benning in Georgia, and was honorably discharged in 1962 as a first lieutenant. Edward then served in the Military Police Battalion (reserves) from 1962-1964, where he earned the rank of Captain.

After being discharged from the Army, Edward started teaching math and science at Franklin Middle School, and by 1965, he was appointed Assistant Principal. He served in that role for over 20 years before being promoted to Principal in 1988. Edward served as Principal of the middle school until his retirement in the summer of 1994. As an educator, Edward impacted so many lives, and his leadership, strength, compassion, and care live on through many of his students and colleagues.

In 1963, he married the love of his life, the late Maria (Ferri) Colace, and the two enjoyed a happy and loving marriage of over 60 years. He is survived by their pair of children, Edward Colace Jr. and his late wife Katie Potrzuski-Colace of North Attleboro, and Linda (Colace) Calderone and her husband Tony of Franklin. He also leaves behind his grandson, Tony Calderone Jr., who was his “pride and joy”. Edward is also predeceased by his brother, Luigi Colace. He leaves behind many cherished nieces and nephews, cousins, in-laws and wonderful friends.

Edward had many simple pleasures in life, and chief among them was spending time with his family, especially his beloved wife Maria. Ed and Maria were always together, especially in the kitchen. The two cooked many meals together over the years at the Union Cafe, and no one ever left their house with an empty stomach. He also loved sports and was often seen watching the Red Sox or sitting at his usual spot right behind the plate at his grandson’s baseball games. If you ever drove down Everett Street, you probably saw Ed sitting outside working on a sudoku puzzle, feeding the neighborhood dogs, and talking about his beautiful Maria or “my grandson”.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral Tuesday Sept. 15th, at 9AM from the Charles F. Oteri and Son Franklin Funeral Home 33 Cottage St. followed by a funeral Mass in St. Mary's Church, Franklin at 10AM. To view the Mass  stmarysfranklin.org 

Burial with military honors will follow at the parish cemetery.

Calling hours are Monday Sept. 14th, from 4-7pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Edward’s memory to the Random Smile Project, at https://randomsmile.org/donate , or P.O Box 13, Franklin, MA, 02038.

Guestbook www.franklinfuneral.com