Harrisburg, PA — Edward A. Palladino Jr., 84, died Oct. 25, 2018, at Golden Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Born Nov. 19, 1933, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., he was the son of the late Edward A. and Nancy (Guido) Palladino Sr. A graduate of the Mt. Carmel Elementary School and Pougkeepsie High School Class of 1951, he played baseball and basketball and began his career as a sports writer for the Poughkeepsie Journal following graduation from Poughkeepsie High.

His sports writing career was interrupted in 1952 when he served in the United States Marine Corps, attaining the rank of Sergeant during the Korean War. He was the recipient of the National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, and the Republic of Korea Service Medal. After his service to our country he returned to the Poughkeepsie Journal for two years until 1957 when he moved to Kingston.

In 1957 he began working at the Daily Freeman as a sports writer. From 1957 to 1974, he held several different positions at the Freeman such as the assistant city editor, city editor and managing editor. For the following ten years, from 1975 to 1985, he took his sports writing talents to the Capital District to work for the Albany Times Union, where he was awarded “Outstanding Harness Writer in the Northeast” only to return to the Daily Freeman from 1985 through 1996. During this time he championed the renovation at Dietz Stadium to convert it to an all-purpose field and won “Most Popular Area Columnist.” In 1997 he took the position as the first press box manager for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization, retiring in 2000.

He was the first chairman of the Dietz Stadium Commission and a charter member, president and vice president of the Monticello-Goshen Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association. He was a life member of both the Joyce Shirick VFW Post #1386 and the American Legion Post #150 in Kingston, a commissioner of the Kingston Housing Authority, and past president of Brigham Seniors. A former national director, president, first & second vice president of the United States Harness Writers Association, commander of the Dutchess County Catholic War Veterans, vice president of the Saratoga Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association, vice chair of the City of Kingston Democratic Committee. He is also a former member of the Democratic Committee and Italian Center in Poughkeepsie, Ulster County Office for the Aging Advisory Council, Hudson Valley Football, Baseball, Basketball Officials Organizations. He was an inductee to both the Dutchess County Softball and the Harness Racing Hall of Fames.

Surviving are daughters, Tracie (Wayne) Short and Nancy (Mark) Griffin; grandsons, Zachary Short, Avery Short and Brady Short; nephew, Scott; cousins, Frank Guido and Carmen Guido; and a brother-in-law, Joe Rosso. He was preceded in death by a sister, Patricia Rosso.

Cremation and memorial arrangements are under the guidance of the Joseph V. Leahy Funeral Home, Inc. 27 Smith Avenue, Kingston. Friends will be received at the funeral home on Sunday (Oct. 28) from 1-6 p.m. The American Legion Post #150 will hold a ritual at 5:30 p.m. and prayers will be held at 6 p.m. Expressions of sympathy in lieu of flowers may be made in the form of contributions to Ulster County Veterans Emergency Fund, 5 Development Court, Kingston, NY 12401.