Edward Gormley, 64, Montco banking executive

Edward W. Gormley, 64, of Fort Washington, a banking executive in eastern Montgomery County for many years, died on Thursday, March 28, of sepsis at Abington Hospice at Warminster.

Born in the East Falls section of Philadelphia and raised in Warminster, he was the son of Edward and Marian Kinsky Gormley.

After graduating from William Tennent High School in 1967, he attended Bucks County Community College for two years before earning a bachelor's degree in business from Bloomsburg State College in 1971.

Mr. Gormley began his banking career as a manager for the Jenkintown-Abington Federal Savings & Loan Association on Old York Road in Jenkintown.

The bank later became Abington Bank and is now Susquehanna Bank. He remained with the bank for 37 years, retiring in 2008 as executive vice president, chief lending officer, and secretary.

Because of his bank post and friendly manner, Mr. Gormley was a familiar figure in the Abington community, said his wife, the former Barbara Kulesa.

"He always had a kind word for anybody. Everybody knew him," his wife said.

He was a member of the Society of Savings and Loan Mortgage Officers, serving as president in 1998.

Mr. Gormley served for 15 years on the Abington Township Economic Development Committee. In 1999, he went to Washington to receive a Development Leadership Award for his work on the restoration of the Keswick area in Glenside.

He served on the board of directors of the Community Leaders Community Development Corp. and also on the advisory board of Bloomsburg University School of Business.

Mr. Gormley enjoyed traveling, hiking, and photography. In his early years, he combined all three by hiking and photographing in most of the national parks. For the last 30 years, he vacationed with his family on Captiva Island in Florida.

He and his wife met in college. Both lived off campus.

"I had to walk past his house," she said. "I had a bag of Twizzlers in my hand. That was his favorite candy. He invited me up onto the porch, and we were inseparable after that."

In addition to his wife of 40 years, he is survived by sons Christopher and Jonathan. Services were Monday.

Donations in honor of Mr. Gormley's late father, also named Edward Gormley, may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, Okla. 73123 or via www.cancer.org.

Condolences to the family may be offered at www.baronrowlandfh.com.

at 215-854-2611 or bcook@phillynews.com.