Giel, Edward James Loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully at age 90, surrounded by his family, on Jan. 26, 2020. He was born July 21, 1929 to Edward and Marion (Flannery) Giel in Winona, Minnesota, and was the oldest of four remarkable children, including Alden, Paul, and Ruth (Haskins) who passed away before him. He attended Winona High School and the University of Minnesota where he majored in business administration. He lived on college campus during the school year but returned to Winona each summer to earn money to pay for his tuition and to continue 'courting' his high school sweetheart, Shirley Albrecht. The year 1952 was a momentous one for him when he earned a B.A. in Business Administration and married "his Shirley", love of his life, on Sept. 6. Following their marriage they lived in St. Paul for two years and during that time he started a lifetime career as a Plant Engineer at Honeywell. In 1954 they had their first child, Debra, and in the years following welcomed four more children: Tom, Kate, Susie, and Lori. In 1956 they bought a home in Brooklyn Park (good old "8017"), which became the central hub for Giel gatherings. Although he enjoyed his career at Honeywell very much, he was also fond of saying that he "was born for retirement." He went on to prove just how true that statement was by retiring early in 1986 at age 57. During retirement, he savored each day and took extreme joy in watching his family grow. The back yard of 8017 was his sanctuary. He spent a lot of time perfecting the lawn, and later added a large patio and screen house that became the focal point for family celebrations. To escape the Minnesota winter, they bought a condo in Phoenix, AZ, which became a second home and a place to reconnect with friends and family. He was a voracious reader, a history buff, a crossword-puzzle-solver, a political news and movie enthusiast, a golfer, a swimmer (he had the most beautiful swimming stroke), a smooth dancer, a surprisingly talented singer, and a lively conversationalist. He adored classical music, but was equally fond of musical 'greats' such as Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. He was a proud member of AA and recently celebrated 41 years of sobriety. His greatest joy was having his wife at his side and being surrounded by his family. Blue was his color; we will forever miss his beautiful blue eyes. We will also be forever grateful for his unconditional love, hugs, humor, wisdom, support, and unwavering commitment to family. He will be deeply missed by his wife, Shirley; children, Debra (Alex), Tom (Judy), Kate (Nadir), Susie (Don), and Lori (Mark); 8 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. Remembrance mass Friday, March 20, at 11:00 AM, with visitation at 10:00 AM at the Church of St. Peter, 1405 Sibley Memorial Highway, Mendota Heights, 55150. A Celebration of Life reception will be held later that day from 4:00 - 8:00 PM at Edinburgh Golf Course, 8700 Edinbrook Crossing, Brooklyn Park, MN 55443.