Deceased

Edward G. Jasper

The IBEW is saddened to report the October 31, 2004, death of retired Third District International Representative Edward G. Jasper. He was 79.

A 55-year member of the IBEW, Brother Jasper was initiated into then-Local 137 in Albany, New York, in 1949 upon his return from Europe in World War II as a combat infantryman. He went to work as a lineman for the Old New York Power and Light Co., where he rose through the ranks of the local’s leadership, serving as steward, president, vice president and acting business manager. Brother Jasper also chaired System Council U-11, a group of locals whose members worked for Niagara Mohawk Power Co. from 1969 to 1972. (Local 137 was amalgamated into Syracuse Local 97 in April 1994, the same time that U-11 went defunct.) During the Korean conflict, Brother Jasper served in the U.S. Air Force, where he was a noncommissioned officer in charge of line construction.

He was appointed Third District International Representative in 1972, a position he held until his retirement in 1994. During that time, he negotiated with the state’s top utility employers and organized 5,000 members at the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company. Brother Jasper was a member of the Niagara Mohawk Veteran’s Club and a member of the American Legion. Active in the state’s labor utility community, he was an officer of the New York State Association of Electrical Workers for several years. Brother Jasper also served on the state Utility Council and several other groups pursuing pro-worker legislation on issues like safety and fair wages.

The Brotherhood extends deepest sympathy to his children, grandchildren, family and friends, including his wife Genevieve, with whom he celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary in May.

Transitions

December 2004 IBEW Journal