It is with heavy hearts that we share the sad news of the passing of Edward (Ed) Budan at the age of 57. Ed will be forever remembered by his loving daughter Megan, his parents Stjepan and Vilma Budan, his loving sisters Gabrielle Ploeger (Steven) and Susanne Pridham (Christopher) and his longtime partner in life, Tracy. He was the proud uncle of Spencer, Dmitri, Ella and Connor.

Named after the famous Toronto Maple Leaf "Eddie (The Entertainer) Shack", Ed was born and raised in Brampton, ON where he lived a wonderful life, a childhood full of love and happiness. Ed was a kind and gentle soul who always sought the good in everyone.

Our family remembers him as a young boy who loved playing and creating with Lego whenever he could. When the family moved to a new Brampton neighbourhood development in 1974, Ed met a bunch of local kids who gathered discarded building materials and appliance boxes left behind by the local builders. These materials were easily turned into fancy forts and hours of fun. Ed went through a phase where he used the building materials to try his hand at “rock climbing,” scaling a local school one night. That adventure did not end well when the local authorities thought he and his friends were trying to break into the school. Eventually it was determined the so-called rock climbing was legitimate, and no foul play was involved. It is a funny story that makes us laugh to this day!

Living alongside the Etobicoke Creek in Brampton brought additional adventures for young Ed. He would sneak a few hotdogs from mom’s fridge to use as bait for his fishing adventures near the family home. In the winter months Ed would skate and play hockey on the creek and under the overpass for hours, never complaining of the cold! Family vacations were plentiful, and the best times included camping on Miller Lake (Summer House Park) near Tobermory and cottaging in Honey Harbour.

Ed loved soccer and played house league for many years, eventually advancing to Select soccer. When the time came to go to college, Ed decided he would seek an Electrical Engineering diploma at Sheridan College. However, he eventually realized his true passion was business. His business acumen was strong, and he excelled at anything financial.

In 2002, Ed married Tracy. For many years they lived in Brampton but eventually moved to Freelton, Ontario. While in Freelton, Ed and Tracy welcomed their daughter Megan. Megan was Ed’s pride and joy. He loved teaching Megan about his Croatian heritage and never missed a chance to teach her about finances! Some of Megan's most treasured moments with her dad happened in the water. He taught her to swim at the local YMCA and then the two enjoyed many years of handstands, somersaults and jumps in hotel pools, lakes, and oceans. When Megan wanted to try cheerleading, Ed was only too happy to make it happen, acting as her dedicated teammate, whether that meant being the base for a pyramid or lifting her high in the air. He was so proud of Megan and her many talents including singing, dancing, writing and acting, fully behind her pursuing a future in the performing arts. In June of this year, Ed was able to see Megan perform High School Musical, where his pride was clearly evident. His legacy remains via his beautiful daughter.

Ed enjoyed many family trips, including Disney World, California, the East Coast, the Bahamas, Myrtle Beach, the UK and more, always somehow finding deals on travel others could not believe. In fact, Ed was known for finding seemingly impossible deals on everything, from clothes and cars to cell phones and computers. Always the life of the party, Ed got great joy from making his friends and family laugh. “That’s one for the notebook,” his friends would declare when he cracked yet another great joke. The notebook grew very long indeed! In 2021, Ed moved to Chippawa, near Niagara Falls. He was happy to be living near his parents where he spent a lot of time with them over the past few years. He loved this community and lifestyle very much.

Diagnosed in early July with Spindle Cell Sarcoma - a rare form of cancer, Ed was taken too soon from us. He fought this deadly disease with all his might and always remained positive and optimistic. Many thanks to the staff at Niagara Health - St. Catharines Site, The Walker Family Cancer Centre, St. Catharines and the Meadowvale Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Centre, Brampton, ON for their loving, kind and compassionate care.

As per Ed's wishes, a small private family visitation will be held at the Meadowvale Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Centre with a Celebration of Life to honour Ed will be held at a later date. If desired, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Ed's name to the Sarcoma Cancer Foundation of Canada at support sarcomacancer.ca