Edward Zurcher Obituary, Death – (Wife’s Statement) After my husband Ed died, I wanted to thank my friends and family for their kind words, thoughts, and prayers for my daughters and me. Oh, I loved that man so much! Over a year and a half, he fought hard and alone against a very rare form of cancer. We really miss him! Here is the obituary my girls and I wrote about Ed, who was the best husband and father. We also wrote about Ed’s memorial service on February 4th, which was called a “Celebration of Life.”
Edward Martin Zurcher of Basin City, Washington, died on January 11, 2023, after a brave battle with cancer. He was 58 years old. Ed was born on October 11, 1964, in Upland, California. His parents were Hans Rudy and Heidi Zurcher. His family moved to Enumclaw, Washington, in 1968, where he grew up on a dairy farm with his two brothers, Ted and Jim, and sister, Julie. As a child, Ed liked to work on his family’s farm, join 4-H and FFA, play soccer, and wrestle. He went to Enumclaw High School and got his diploma in 1983. Then he went to Utah State University to take a program called “Dairy Herdsmanship.”
After he was done with school, he worked on the Pfisters’ dairy farm in Switzerland. After his time away, he went to work with his dad on Zurcher Dairy in Enumclaw, Washington, where they raised milk cows. Ed always thought about what might happen in the future. In 1997, Ed and his dad decided to move the dairy farm east from Enumclaw to Basin City, Washington. While there, Ed purchased the farm from his parents and expanded the dairy herd, grew his own crops, and started a steer operation.
Ed loved running a dairy farm. He was happy with what his family and he had built. He was never afraid to be in charge in the dairy business. Ed cared a lot about helping dairy farmers and was a strong voice for the industry. He was involved in the Ag Forestry program and served on the Washington State Dairy Federation.
Another role that was important to Ed was being a devoted husband and father. Heather Harris, who graduated from Enumclaw High School in 1986, was the love of his life. He met her in 1989, and they got married in 1993. Olivia, Alena, and Abigail were their three daughters. He loved his girls and was always there at sporting events, recitals, and fairs cheering them on with his famous princess wave.
His mother, Heidi, his wife, Heather, and his daughters, Olivia (Colin), Alena, and Abigail, as well as his brothers and sisters, Ted, Julie, and Jim, will miss him. Rudy, his father, passed away before him. Ed will be remembered for his laugh, his sense of humor, his wit, his sharp memory, his love of agriculture, his work in the community, and his many friends. On February 4, 2023, at 1:00 p.m., there will be a party to honor his life at the Red Lion Hotel in Pasco, Washington. Everyone is welcome, including friends and family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Eastern Washington Family Farmers as a way to remember the person who died.