Edward Miles Sunka died peacefully in the early morning hours of Wednesday, March 22, 2023.

Ed was born September 20, 1926, to John and Mary Sunka and lived in Braeburn, Pennsylvania until he moved to Florida in 1944 with his family. He lived in St. Joe, FL until he joined the military where he served in the United States Army Air Corp until he was honorably discharged after getting injured while serving in Okinawa, Japan. Following his discharge from the Army and his recovery, he became an X-ray technician where he met his wife, Lola Betty Hiers at Plant City Memorial Hospital in Plant City, Florida. Ed and Lola were married on September 11, 1955, and became residents of Zephyrhills. They had one daughter, Susan. Ed later became a lab technician for the State of Florida in the poultry industry where he worked until he retired in 1987.

Ed was a great role model for how to live life. He never let age slow him down or stop him from learning new skills or pursuing his interests. Early in his life, in addition to his full-time job as a lab technician, he worked hard in the familys orange grove business until the grove froze in 1982. He was a great handyman around the house, able to fix anything. He also was a very giving man, helping neighbors and friends with various projects as well as helping the neighborhood kids with their bikes, adding air to their tires, and fixing bike chains.

Early in his married life, Ed had many hobbies including bowling in a league, calligraphy, and photography. He was an avid fisherman and loved woodworking. In his late sixties, he began spending every summer visiting family and friends in the Slovak and Czech Republics. His travels continued well into his nineties. Over the course of his journeys, Ed became fluent in speaking the Slovak and Czech languages.

Later in life, he took up gardening, swimming, and playing the harmonica. His love for biking was evident, riding 54 miles at a time, four and five times a week until he was 78 years old when he finally hung up his bike helmet. Ed also enjoyed following the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team season after season.

In his last years, he enjoyed watching YouTube videos, everything from learning how they build roads in Indonesia to fishing in Cambodia without a fishing pole to taking virtual train rides throughout Europe and Russia. He loved learning about different cultures, building anything, and seeing the world both in person and virtually.

Ed lived a principled life, role-modeling integrity, compassion, empathy, and kindness with everyone. He had a quick wit and a great sense of humor. He was a devoted husband to his wife of 32 years, Lola, until her death in 1987, and throughout his life, he was a loving father to his daughter, Susan.

Ed was preceded in death by his father and mother, brother John Sunka, sister Ann McKinniss and wife, Lola.

His Celebration of Life ceremony will be held at Hodges Family Funeral Home, 301 Chapel Dade City, FL on April 1, 2023, at 11:00 am. Donations may be made to the Wounded Warriors Project in lieu of flowers. The ceremony may also be streamed.

Hodges Funeral Home in Dade City is in charge of the arrangements.

Hodges Family Funeral Home (Dade)