 NYF Corp. is saddened by the passing of its long-time friend and business partner, Edwin S. Shecter. Ed has worked with NYF Corp. for the past 10 years shepherding our Company through the Malcolm Baldrige process right up to our Silver Award as well as AS 9000 certification and ISO 9002 certification, including our recent transition towards AS 9100 and ISO 9001:2000.
Ed Shecter was President of Total Quality Resources Company, a management consulting firm with over 35 years of experience in a wide range of quality, productivity, program control, reliability engineering, and management. A certified Baldrige Award examiner, he taught at Rutgers University in Statistical Quality Control and served as staff Product Assurance Manager in an electronics company. He was a Fellow of the ASQ and was the Executive Director of the Ellis R. Ott Foundation. His book, Managing for World Class Quality, was published in 1991. Ed had a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master's degree in Applied Statistics. He was a founder of Quality New Jersey. This organization named its annual award, The Edwin S. Shecter Award, after its co-founder and staunch supporter.
NYF Corp. mourns Ed's passing but celebrates the legacy of his dedication to quality and to teaching others how to improve quality. His warm, personal style of communication and his integrity are qualities that all of us at NYF Corp. will remember and honor.
Who was Edwin S. Shecter: A Eulogy
Who was Edwin Shecter? To the world, he was a scholar, a statesman, a teacher, a mentor, a writer, a creator, and an inspiration. He was adored and revered by all who knew him. Ed, like the name of his company, was a Total Quality Resource.
Ed was a World Class Leader in Quality. He was the first of a small group of men in the 1950's who went to teach the Japanese and Chinese about Quality. If only General Motors had listened the way Honda did. He taught statistical quality at Rutgers University. He was a Malcolm Baldridge judge and trained companies on how to compete for this prestigious award. He visited and met with President Bush Sr. and President Reagan on quality in America. He founded Quality New Jersey as well as helped found the Princeton Chapter of the American Society for Quality Control. He was a published author and wrote the book "Managing for World Class Quality". He worked on the NASA space shuttles. He held two masters degrees in engineering and completed all course work on his PHD. Many do not know that he cleaned up the waters of the New Jersey Shore (sorry Kristy Whitman) and helped public education in New Jersey. In the words of his associates: "He was an inspiration to all who worked with him. His selfless service to the world of quality was unmatched by any of his peers. "" and "Ed was like an American Quality Encyclopedia; always active, encouraging and creative" and lastly: Ed was one of those practitioners which built the Quality profession in the US to what it is today, and always contributed his time and efforts to furthering Quality in New Jersey. He was always a gentleman in the truest sense of the word, very dedicated and knowledgeable."
Ed was also an excellent athlete. In college he played football... so what if his team was known as the "Scoreless Wonders". He played baseball, and of course his biggest passion was tennis--winning many awards for his prowess at the Nevele Country Club.
Celia, his adoring wife says (and she quotes her brother) "He was the best man that ever lived"". There was not a darned thing wrong with him, there really was nobody like him. Not even socks on the bedroom floor. Just papers piled high on any flat surface he could find. Any time she'd put a stool down, he'd put more paper there... He loved candy bars. When Halloween time came, who did he really get those candy bars for... the children?? He enjoyed life and nice things but mostly, he strove for the betterment of mankind. He lived his life to the fullest, up to the very last. To Celia he said: "You are my lifeline".
Debra his oldest daughter says, Ed was the greatest father anyone could ever have. He was full of love and life and was always there for the whole family. He was a brilliant man and had so many talents, yet he was so humble. Mostly "we bragged about him because he was so humble. Ï could talk to my Dad about anything and he was always there to listen and offer his guidance, support and advice. He always could find the humor in everything, even in a note he left to all of us before he passed away. I remember when we used to play tennis together and when I was in grade school, we used to play softball after dinner. When I was older, my dad loved to talk to me about the stock market. We traded stock tips all the time and that is why my mom is now looking for a job. We used to laugh together all the time about lots of little things and we always got so much pleasure just sitting together in the den and watching TV. He was a wonderful athlete -- he played baseball, football, and was an avid tennis player. When he wasn't playing a sport, he loved watching sports on TV. My dad was a world class dad and I love him dearly. I highly respect him and will always remember how much he loved us and loved life.
Lori, his youngest daughter says...words can not describe what my Dad meant to me. On a surface level he helped me with all sorts of things--like math and calculus in school--he taught me how to drive, he helped me learn my Hav Torah, helped me with investments, the car repair, he was the best speller I knew and did crossword puzzles like no other. He taught me how to ride a two wheeler. I remember him running after me, holding onto the bike down our steep hill. He'd let go and yell "now STEER!". When I fell, he'd run to comfort me, like he did the rest of his life. He told me to always drive in the truck lane on the New Jersey Turnpike (less traffic) and to get every job offer - then I could figure out if I wanted the job. He even helped Isabel, my daughter with this new crazy math that I can't understand, but he did. All this sounds so mundane. And that probably is because I really can't find what to say to tell you about his spirit, his soul, his heart and what he his very essence means to me. He is supposed to be the one who is here, comforting me...he always was at a time like this. He was our strength and our answer. I remember on Mother's Day I had the first quality time that I had with him for a long time... at least two or three hours while my mother and daughter went out. I wish I knew it was the last. We went for a walk and while I don't remember what we talked about I do remember thinking how very lucky I was to have this time with him, walking and talking and I remember thinking how very lucky I was to have a man like this to be my Dad. Oh sure, we had a few arguments here and there like when he was teaching me to parallel park, but what can I say to you Daddy? I thought you'd be here for Isabel's Bat Mizvah and her wedding. You left us too soon.
To Isabel, his granddaughter, he was the loving Pa who made her laugh and regaled her with stories of when he was in the Navy. One day, his job was to climb a tall radar pole (at least 100 feet up) on a freshly painted white ship. He climbed up to the tippy top of the pole with black tar. Ooops! He accidently kicked that black tar bucket down on the freshly painted new white ship! After that he was never allowed back on the ship again! Pa was the one who would be up at the crack of dawn to give Isabel breakfast and to have long quiet talks with her. Isabel says "God must like Pa very much because he wanted him to be with him. Don't worry mommy, no body dies before they are ready".
And Ed, what does he say about himself? I want you to know that I had a very good and enjoyable life. I have no regrets and I don't mind dying. It's just a part of living. So don't feel badly. I want you to enjoy what you do and put everything in proper perspective. Ain't nothing that serious that you can't go on. Live is for living... so live it up.
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