Edward Anthony “Ed” Tupin
August 22, 1952 - December 2, 2025
Edward Anthony “Ed” Tupin, age 73, of Indialantic, FL and Rockville, MD, passed away on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.
Born in Houston, TX, on August 22, 1952, he was a son of the late Parker E. and Sara Jane (App) Tupin, Jr.
He graduated from Newark High School as a National Merit Scholar He received his undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University and his Master’s Degree from Duke University.
Growing up he had several hobbies including keeping a fish aquarium and was a member of the Diamond State Aquarium Society. He maintained a few hives of bees and was a member of the Delaware Beekeepers Association. He also played French horn in Newark High School Band.
He joined the US Army after college. His first Army assignment was at the Defense Nuclear Agency in Albuquerque, NM, in support of the radiological cleanup of the Enewetak Atoll. After a one-year unaccompanied tour to Enewetak, helping monitor radiation levels, Ed “caught the bug” for a career in radiation safety. His next duty station was at the US Army Health Physics Division, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD. During this tour, Ed earned his Certified Health Physicist (CHP) designation. According to the American Academy of Health Physicists, there are over 1600 plenary and emeritus members, and Ed was one of them! Ed’s final tour was at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. In 1984, Ed resigned his US Army commission and accepted a commission in the US Public Health Service.
Ed’s first assignment as a new US PHS Commissioned Officer was with the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH). This is when Ed met his lifelong friend Robert DiMaria and later became an “uncle” to Robert and Alba’s two children. Ed was recruited to join US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) sister agency, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). It was at ATSDR that Ed became a subject-matter expert (SME) in radiological hazards and participated in many local and national emergency response drills. Not only did Ed earn his promotion to Captain (O-6), he met another lifelong friend, Rick Collins. One of Ed’s last CDC duties was participating in the response to Anthrax attacks in 2001.
In 2002, Ed retired from the US Public Health Service and accepted a civil service job in the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Radiation and Indoor Air where he continued to serve as an SME/CHP. This move also put Ed closer to his mother and father, who still lived in Newark, DE. He visited them often. While at the EPA, one of his notable responsibilities was to ensure the radiation safety of the Mars Rover while on Planet Earth as well as during the launch. The Mars Rover was powered by a small nuclear reactor. Ed’s group was presented with the “Group Achievement Award for his work on the Mars Science Laboratory” Speaking of the launch, Ed was able to get tickets to view the launch for all the family. In 2016, Ed retired for the second time and devoted weekends and holidays helping his parents and doing projects around their house.
He was long-time. active member of the Health Physics Society (HPS) and the local Baltimore-Washington HPS (BWHPS) Chapter. Ed earned the HPS Fellow Award for his significant administrative and educational contributions to the profession of health physics. At the BWHPS Chapter, Ed served two terms as President as well as in several other capacities, including History Chairperson at the time of his death. He was presented with the 2019 Chapter Leadership Award and several additional Certificates of Appreciation for his various roles in the Society.
After his retirement, Ed began an interesting time as a volunteer at the Rockville Habitat ReStore of the Habitat for Humanity Metro MD. In 2024, he was awarded a certificate for being a Platinum Level Volunteer. He enjoyed fixing donations that needed minor repairs. Ed was also active in the NS Savannah Association, assisting with building a replica of the nuclear reactor, other displays, and served as a docent for tours of the ship. While he spent many weekends with his parents in Newark, DE, Ed was active in Good Shepard Lutheran Church, Gaithersburg, MD.
As his volunteer activities show, Ed lived his life helping others; his family and friends were frequently the recipients of his expertise to fix items and create helpful things around the home. He was devoted to family, especially his Father and Mother. He continued to be active in the Lutheran Church throughout his life.
Ed is survived by his siblings, Jane Tupin, Nancy Jensen (Paul), and Joan Tupin-Crites (David); extended family, Joe and Jason Ziebel and family.
A visitation for family and friends will be held from 11am to 12 noon on Monday, January 5, 2026, at Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 121 West Park Place, Newark, DE, where a funeral service will begin at 12 noon. A committal service will follow in the chapel of Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 2465 Chesapeake City Road, Bear, DE.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ed’s memory to:
Good Shepard Lutheran Church
Gaithersburg, MD
Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland
N.S. Savannah Association
Baltimore-Washington Chapter of the Health Physics Society
Margaret Cade Meyers
Ed will always be in my heart. I’m very grateful for the many years of love, friendship and fun.
David Furman
Ed you did great work on the NS Savannah. I enjoyed your company and knowledge.
Fairwinds and a following sea my friend.
David
Nina Bennett
I am stunned and saddened by Ed’s death. I knew him in school, and in recent years we danced to our favorite band, Club Phred, when Ed was back in Newark. Dance on, my friend, because rock and roll never forgets.
Bonnie Malone Favero
Ed was a wonderful person who spent his life helping others. God bless him and may his memory be a blessing to all those who knew him
Milton Wancowicz jr.
ED May your new journey have you dancing . Conversing with family and friends in joyous care and love. Miss our conversations .
Jewell Brookshire
I will always miss you. I Love You.
Geoffrey Williams
My Brother Gareth Williams knew Ed in High School. I will send him a copy of the obituary. I knew his sister Jane in High School and I wish to send her my condolences.
Marcia Mackillop-Artymenko
Ed was a fellow classmate in High School. He was a kind thoughtful person who had many accomplishments in his life that his family can be very proud of. Prayers and Condolences to everyone in his life. He will be missed.
Laura Thomas
I lived next door to Ed for 19 years in Rockville, MD. He was always so kind and constantly volunteered to fix stuff around my house in exchange for me collecting his mail when he traveled.
I was blown away reading his obituary because Ed never spoke about himself or his achievements. He was quiet, kind and always willing to help.
Sending prayers of peace to the family. God bless you all.
Dennis P. Brown
My deepest condolences. I only knew Ed the last year on the N.S. Savannah but his knowledge, happy deminer and friendly nature was both infectious and made everyone around him get uplifted. Needless to say, his knowledge in health physics was expansive and relative to the ship, extensive. Always ready to help, to give guided tours with great knowledge with in-depth detail while infuse everyone in the tours with a desire to both learn and appreciate the ship. He will be sorely missed by us and all the people who were fortunate to meet him during his tours.
Eric Simpson, CHP
Ed Tupin was an exemplary individual and wonderful colleague. Health Physics was just one of his many passions and our paths crossed as colleagues at EPA. Ed was a truly wonderful and gifted individual.
Donna Z.Simmons
So sorry to hear about Ed. Thinking of you all.
Jewell Chastain Brookshire
Ed, saying goodbye to you is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I have so many memories of such fun times, beach walks, projects on our house, swimming in the pool, watching the rocket launches, cooking together, and so much more. We shared so much laughter and also some tears. I’ll miss your daily texts and goodnight phone calls and hearing you say, “I love you”. You gave me a part of you and I will always be grateful to have had you in my life. I love you.
Robin Sue Hild
I am heartbroken to read that Ed has passed away. I met Ed at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Maryland in 1986. My first husband had just passed away suddenly, and Ed was the big brother I never had, always being there with advice. He told me about his three younger sisters and he spoke about them with such love and pride. Ed never really spoke about himself and all of his accomplishments that I’ve read about in his obituary. The fact that he gave so much of himself to others did not surprise me at all. Ed, you made a real difference in my life, and I love you and I will miss you all the days of my life. Fly high, Ed.