Edward S. Crozier Jr. passed away on December 11, 2025, preceded in death by his wife, Caryl Crozier, his parents, Edward Sr and Ella Crozier, and sisters Maxine Jacobson and Candace Crozier. He is survived by daughters Michelle (Scott) Kegler and Cherise (William) Barnes and grandchildren, Rachel (Nico) Andrade, Finley (Shelby) Barnes and Nathan Barnes.

Ed was born on Dec 4, 1934 in Russell, Minnesota and grew up in Jasper, Minnesota where the family lived in the lumberyard house at the far end of the town's main street.  He graduated from South Dakota State University in 1956 with a degree in wildlife management. Inspired by outdoor writers and stories of his great grandfather, an Austrian gamekeeper, Ed spent his youth hunting and fishing in the creek and fields around Jasper.

As a youth Ed was employed in the lumberyard and local stone quarry, then as fire tower lookout in western Montana, fire fighting crew in Yellowstone National Park, a student biologist at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota, then canoe guide for Northwest Gunflint Outfitters. After a brief stint in graduate school, Ed got a job as a Refuge Manager at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in southern Illinois.  His career was interrupted when he was drafted into the US Army in 1957, serving in Germany as an infantry squad leader and marksman. Upon his military discharge from the Army he was assigned to be the Manager of a District of the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge at Cassville, Wisconsin.

In 1960, he married Caryl R. Kinker, from South Dakota. Their honeymoon was a canoe trip in the BWCA, her first of many outdoor adventures with Ed. After a second year on the river, he and Caryl and new daughter, Michelle moved to Jamestown, North Dakota where Ed was a wetland biologist selecting wetlands to be purchased as federal Waterfowl Production Areas. In quick succession, he became the Refuge Manager of the Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge, Manager of the Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge, and Regional Planner at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Regional Office in Minneapolis. The family, now with daughter, Cherise, settled into the Twin Cities. The Regional Planning Team was nationalized and, with Ed's leadership, worked on national wildlife refuges from New Jersey to California, Hawaii, Alaska and a wildlife area in Costa Rica. For the Alaska assignment, Ed, Caryl and daughters Michelle and Cherise drove the Alcan Highway 3600 miles (when it was still gravel) to Fairbanks, Alaska.

One of Ed's biggest achievements was playing a major role in the establishment of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.  Ed thought that the lower Minnesota River Valley should be a National Wildlife Refuge, and this became a reality through collaboration with local environmentalists and the Minnesota Congressional Delegation. Ed became the first manager of the refuge.  He remained in that job for nine years before supervising all national wildlife refuges in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin and then retiring in 1994. Ed received many awards and honors throughout his career including the U.S. Interior Department's Meritorious and Distinguished Service Awards.

After retirement, he stayed active supporting wildlife refuges and protecting habitat in Minnesota and nationally. He was a founder and vice chairman of the National Wildlife Refuge Association, a charter member and president of the Minnesota Valley Trust, Inc., and a  board director of the Blue Goose Alliance. He was also a founder and president of the Friends of Minnesota Valley, and a mentor to many other such groups.

In 1970, Caryl and Ed had built a home in the woods in Burnsville at the water's edge where they remained for 50+ years. After retirement Caryl and Ed began a marathon of writing – resulting in his memoir – "Dream Hunter" and hers – "Waking to Mourning Doves."  At the same time, they were researching their family histories and traveling extensively in the U.S. and Europe. This effort resulted in seven family history books and reconnecting with family branches in Czech, Germany and Switzerland.

Throughout his life, Ed maintained an active outdoors life of bird hunting, fishing and occasional backpacking. He and Caryl enjoyed a 190-acre grouse and woodcock camp in Pine County, and later, a lake cabin on the Minong Flowage in Wisconsin. In addition to bird hunting in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Ed hunted pheasant on Caryl's family farm and with friends on an annual hunting trip.  Ed enjoyed hunting over his trained hunting dogs. Maize, a golden retriever, was his first, a 1,000 bird dog.  Patch, a French Brittany, was as good at retrieving pheasants as he was able to point hidden pheasants.

In recent years, Ed often remarked that he had a great life, including a wonderful family and a rewarding career with highly valued coworkers.  His life was filled with the things he loved and he aspired to pay back to society in equal measure.  Memorials should be directed to a conservation or environmental organization of the donor's choice. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at a later date.