Edward C. Senechal

Ed Senechal, beloved son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, friend, age 54, died on October 16, 2015, at home, surrounded by family following a valiant struggle against cancer.

Ed was born in Green Bay February 18, 1961 to Martha Meily Senechal and Edward C. Senechal. He attended Whitney Elementary, Edison Middle, and Preble High Schools, graduating with highest honors in 1979. He was a National Merit Scholar.

Ed showed an early musical gift with the flute. He studied with Professor Robert Bauer at UWGB throughout grade school and high school. His exceptional school band directors, Roger Bintz and Ken Leemon gave him many opportunities to grow musically. His school age accomplishments included the Mildred Havlick Young Musicians’ Award, and winning the first Young Artist Concerto Competition with the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra. Ed also performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He was very active in the Green Bay Youth Symphony, and also was selected for Wisconsin Honors Band all three of his high school years.

He attended Northwestern University, graduating in 1983, where he studied with Professor Walfrid Kujala. While at Northwestern, he was an enthusiastic member of the marching band and his interest continued with the NUMB alumnae band throughout his life.

Following graduation, he played in an orchestra in Norfolk VA for about a year. He then won the position of principal piccolo player with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Ed lived in Hong Kong for seven years, and then moved to Germany. He performed with many groups in Germany, concluding with the Monchengladbach Opera.

Ed spent many wonderful summers touring with a small chamber orchestra group in Europe and around the globe. He was an avid swimmer and diver and enjoyed scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Following his career in music, Ed ventured into the world of computers, becoming a Microsoft Certified Engineer, working for BP in Germany. After he returned to the United States, he lived in Seattle for several years.

His career brought him back to Madison, Wisconsin, where he worked for Epic Medical Records Company. After three years with them, he moved to Chicago and went into private contracting, advising many medical facilities on working with electronic medical records. During his time in Madison, he was active in the formation of the Verona Area Concert Band, a group of enthusiastic amateur players, which he played with and supported.

Over the past few years, Ed has been very active on the Northwestern University campus, volunteering at his fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Iota chapter, and in 2013, he received the Volunteer of the Year Award. He also served as the treasurer of the NUMB alum organization. Ed enjoyed the annual homecoming celebration where the band alumnae marched on the field during halftime. He followed the Northwestern sports teams with great interest, as a season ticket holder and occasionally playing in the pep band at basketball games.

A major interest of Ed’s over the past several years has been the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. He served in many volunteer capacities, including traveling with the group over the summer being one of the cooks for the group. Ed really loved doing that. He sponsored several of the participants and took quiet pride in all that he was able to do for them.

Ed is survived by his mother, Martha. He is also survived by his sister, Martha Ann LeComte, her husband David, and their two children, Ben and Katie. He is further survived by his brother, Andy Senechal, his wife Molly and their two children, Anders and Moira. In addition, Ed’s two favorite aunts, Helen Levinson and her family, and Sally Hayden and her family survive. He has many wonderful, close cousins, with whom he shared a loving relationship. He is further survived by his stepmother, Deborah Senechal, and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his father, Edward; his maternal grandparents, David and Esther Meily, and his paternal grandparents, August and Isabelle Senechal.

At Ed’s request, no formal services will be held. Memorial funds have been established for the Madison Scouts, 2935 S. Fish Hatchery Rd, #401, Madison WI 53711; and for the Verona Area Concert Band, info@vacbmusic.org .

The family would like to thank Dr. Sheetal Kircher, MD, and Vicky Pressling, NP, Chicago Northwestern Medical, for their care and encouragement; his hospice care workers, Melanie, Lana and Jackie, for their help in making his last days more comfortable. We would also like to thank Phil Orem, a lifelong friend of Ed’s, who has been a wealth of inspiration and caring for us in Eddie’s last days.