Joseph (Ed) Warden, a World War II veteran and longtime resident of Bay Shore, died Nov. 22, 2008. He was 85 years old.

Mr. Warden was born in Patchogue, the son of Mary Rogers and Edward Warden. He graduated from Hofstra university and served in the U.S. Army, as a Signal Corpsman in China, Burma, and India Theaters from 1942 to 1945.

For 42 years, he was employed with Western Electric, New York Telephone and NYNEX. Twelve years ago, he and his wife of 29 years, Joan (Poppe) Warden moved to Hilton Head.

"He was a kind, sweet and gentle and upbeat person," said his wife. "Many of the cards and notes I have received from people talk about how kind a person he was."

Mr. Warden and his wife were members of the Southward Ho Country Club in Bay Shore, where Mr. Warden played tennis, a passion for which he maintained throughout his life.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Warden is survived by his children, Margaret Warden and Elizabeth Carlisle, of Hilton Head, and Michael Warden of Lindenhurst. His stepchildren, Alfred Heckel III of Bay Shore and Christine Ronback and her husband Randy of Amityville, and by his grandchildren Nicole and Christopher Carlisle of Hilton Head and Alfred Heckel IV of New York City and Katherine Heckel of Bay Shore also survive him as do his sisters, Adele Lafave, of Virginia and Mary Blanding of Patchogue and his sister-in-law, Inez Poppe of Babylon and Irma Fleming of Amityville.