Dr. Edward S. Popko II, a man of remarkable achievement, passed away on November 7, 2023, at his home in Woodstock, NY, surrounded by his family.
Born in Miami, Florida, on July 29, 1943, to Edward and Frances ‘Fran’ Popko, Ed’s early years were marked by his passion for model aviation. His educational journey took him from Dade County Jr College’s engineering program to the University of Detroit, where he earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree. It was during his time at the University of Detroit that he met his future wife, Geraldine.
Ed’s career included diverse roles, from architectural preservation with the U.S. National Park Service to cartographic computer programming for the Detroit Regional Transportation and Land Use Study (TALUS). Ed’s insatiable thirst for knowledge led him to MIT, where he obtained a Master of Architecture degree and a Fulbright-Hays Scholarship for research in Colombia. He later completed his Ph.D. in urban planning at MIT, focusing on squatter settlements.
His career encompassed teaching at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, consulting for USAID and the World Bank, and a three-decade career with IBM and Dassault Systemes, where he held various product development and marketing positions. Throughout his life, Ed authored over 100 publications including three books: Geodesics; Transitions: A Photographic Documentary of Squatter Settlements; and Divided Spheres: Geodesics & The Orderly Subdivision of the Sphere.
Ed’s diverse interests extended to sailing, model aviation, navigation, and amateur radio. He was an active member of the Rip Van WinkleScouting Council, a certified US Sailing instructor, and an advocate for model aviation. He also embraced amateur radio, inheriting his fa- ther’s call sign, W4GNT. In 2013, he completed 100 miles of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage on foot. Ed’s retirement allowed him to enjoy his home in Woodstock, NY, with his wife of 53 years, Geraldine.
He is survived by his wife; children, Ellen (Turtle) and Ben; daughter- in-law, Amy; and sisters Nora Jane and Mary Ellen. His legacy lives on through his lasting contributions to architecture, design, urban planning, and technology. He will be dearly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
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