Edward S. Carlton Jr. died peacefully Aug. 28, 2026 just five weeks shy of his 90th birthday.
He is survived by the love of his life, Dorothy (née McAvoy), to whom he was married for 61 years and who was by his side when he passed. An inseparable couple, Ed often said they were not joined at the hip, but “joined at the heart.”
Their love story began at a dance in 1964 when, after spotting Dorothy across the room, Ed approached her and asked, “Would you like to trip the light fantastic with me, my dear?” And the rest was history.
Ed was born and raised in Jersey City and was a proud graduate of St. Peter’s Prep and St. Peter’s College. As a teenager, he spent his summers on the beaches and boardwalks of Spring Lake, where he later instilled a love of the Jersey Shore in his children and grandchildren during summers in both Spring Lake and, later, Sea Girt.
No matter how far life took him, Ed remained fiercely proud of his Jersey City roots and often said, “All roads lead through Jersey City.”
But it was Ed’s years as an entrepreneur that shaped so much of his life and his family’s.
While working at Colgate-Palmolive and paying his way through college, Ed rejected a corporate position after graduation to invest in himself and a small, fledgling steel and aluminum plant established in 1887. While raising a young family in Manhattan’s Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, Ed commuted tirelessly to the industrial neighborhood where Corrugated Metals, Inc. was based, eventually expanding its operations to Chicago in the late 1970s.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Ed broadened his entrepreneurial footprint, investing in real estate in downtown Jersey City and seeing a vision for what it could become and what it is known for today.
In 1982, while admiring the New York City skyline from a tugboat in the harbor, Ed wondered why there were no commercial vessels on which he could entertain clients in one of the world’s most iconic settings. In 1984, that idea became Entrepreneur Yacht Charters, a venture that helped spark a new industry in New York Harbor. Ed welcomed Fortune 500 companies and celebrities aboard, while creating unforgettable experiences for private celebrations and special occasions against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.
His vision, larger-than-life personality, and entrepreneurial spirit made him a familiar presence throughout the city and New York Harbor and, fittingly, a true captain of industry.
As his family grew, they moved uptown and Ed became an active member of the community, proudly holding many volunteer positions, including director of membership for the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) and a board member of The Loyola School. He was also named Commodore of New York City’s Fleet Week, among other honors.
In later years, Ed and Dorothy returned to New Jersey, making their home in Rumson and, later, Little Silver. There, they welcomed a new chapter of family life as their children married, their family grew, and they became grandparents.
Of all his titles and accolades, perhaps none made him happier or prouder than being named Paw by his loving grandchildren. Another play on words, Paw became his moniker for his larger-than-life stature, incredible warmth and, for all who knew him, his unmistakable paw-like handshake.
In recent years, he took great pride in watching his sons grow and transform Corrugated Metals from the manufacturing and processing plant of the 1960s into a leading national and international corporation and affiliated defense technologies operation.
In 2022, Ed and Dorothy moved to The Garlands in Barrington, Illinois, where they continued their love story and where Ed became known as the Scrabble Champ, winning by 75 points the day before his passing.
Ed was preceded in death by his parents, Edward Siebert Carlton and Mary Carlton (née Scott), and his brother, Richard Garley.
In addition to his beloved wife Dorothy, Ed is survived by his brother, Fr. Maurice Carlton of Whitehouse Station and his three children, Thomas Carlton and his wife, Michelle of Woodstock, Illinois; Ken Carlton and his wife, Kristin of Palatine, Illinois; and Diane Kazalski and her husband, Adam of Lakewood Ranch, Florida, and Little Silver.
He was the proud grandfather of eight: Courtney Messersmith and her husband, Robert, of Spring Hill, Tennessee; TJ Carlton and his wife, Haley, of Mobile, Alabama; Allie Kazalski of Chicago; Chet Kazalski of Los Angeles; Justin Carlton of Salt Lake City; Brian Carlton of Woodstock, Illinois; Caroline Carlton of Chicago; and Teddy Carlton of Palatine, Illinois.
His legacy continues through his three great-grandchildren, Julia Elizabeth and Eloise Claire Messersmith, and Henry James Carlton.
Visitation will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, at St. Anne Catholic Church in Barrington, Illinois, followed immediately by a funeral Mass.
The article originally appeared in the September 3 – 9, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
