Obituary of Edward Collett

August 4, 2025

Dr. Edward Collett, 90, died on Monday, August 4^th, 2025. He was raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn and, prior to spending the last years of his life in Manhattan, he was a longtime resident of Lincroft, New Jersey.

Dr. Collett was a physicist who devoted his life to understanding how the world worked at its deepest, most fundamental level. He was an expert on the polarization of light, a subject on which he wrote multiple books and papers, and his work has been used in defense, communications, and medicine. He spent most of his career working for the United States Army. Among his many achievements and commendations – his name is on a form of light called Collett-Wolf sources; he was Army Scientist of the Year in 1978 for his work on the Army’s laser warning receiver; and he worked late into life on the problem of improvised explosive devices. He was also an avid student of history who believed in the fundamental goodness of America, and he was happy that so much of his work went into protecting the lives of American soldiers.

Edward was a kind and loving father, grandfather, husband, brother, and father-in-law, who was loved by his family. He spent countless hours sharing his loves of astronomy, science, and history with them, and he laughed easily and heartily. He faced the world with a wonderful sense of humor, without worry or complaint.

Edward is survived by his sons Ronald and Gregory, daughters-in-law Rie and Michele, grandchildren Danielle, Francesca, and Victoria, brother Anthony and sister-in-law Antoinette, niece and nephew Elizabeth and Ted, and Elizabeth’s son Gilmore. He is predeceased by his beloved wife Marilyn, to whom he was happily married for 30 years.

Family and friends are invited to the visitation from 5-8pm on Monday, August 11^th at Crestwood Funeral Home, 445 W. 43^rd Street, New York, NY 10036. A Mass of Christian Burial to celebrate his life will be held at 10am on Tuesday, August 12^th at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 405 W. 59^th Street, New York, NY 10019. At 12:45pm, a funeral service will be held at Mount Olivet Cemetery, 100 Chapel Hill Road, Red Bank, NJ 07701.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Society for Science, an organization that promotes science education -- https://www.societyforscience.org

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