Edward Han
1970 – 2024
Ed Han of Ewing, NJ passed away on December 4th 2024 at the age of 54 after a long illness.
He spent most of his childhood in Livingston, NJ where he attended Newark Academy as a High Schooler. He graduated with a BA in English Literature from Albright College in Reading, PA.
He worked at many companies including R.R. Bowker, MSCI, and most recently Cenlar, FSB. Ed was an avid role-playing gamer, huge Bruce Springsteen fan, but mostly a fierce advocate for job seekers through his career, volunteer groups, and his “LinkedIn Tip of the Day” and “EdTalks.” Ed volunteered for various job seekers’ groups including Whine & Dine, and PSG and gave speeches and guested on podcasts sharing his expertise and wisdom.
He was also a trustee at Pilgrim Congregational Church. He was always asking people how he could help them and always following through. His optimism and strength before and especially after his diagnosis are to be marveled at and aspired to.
Ed is survived by his devoted wife, Cora, his loving parents, Ki Hyun and Eunja, and caring sister and brother, Patty and Mike. A memorial service will be held at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Warren, NJ on December 14th at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are respectfully requested to Pilgrim Congregational Church.
Funeral arrangements are by Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel. OrlandsMemorialChapel.com/Edward-Han
My condolences to his family. As a fellow recruiter who had the honor of connecting with Ed on a prior opportunity with Cenlar I can indeed say Ed was the real deal. A real beacon in our TA community. He will be missed just as much as he was appreciated. RIP #EDTALK
I cannot attend as I live in Chicago but I want to say how much I liked and valued Ed. We met on LI and talked on the phone a few months ago regarding my job search. I knew he was ill, though not aware of how seriously, and didn’t expect him to make time to talk with me. Not only did he keep our appointment, he spent a half hour listening and giving honest feedback. He was the only recruiter I’ve spoken with over the years who actually asked me – Why are you making yourself so small??? The job market in BD has been Hard because so many positions are full commission and also, I am older and have dealt with ageism for a while. Ed thought I should not settle. He was a fighter and a great role model for being one.
I truly valued him and want his family to know how liked and loved he was in the LI community –
Lynne Mayer
I am so sorry for your loss. Ed was a wonderful human being, and I will miss him dearly.
I never had the chance to meet Ed in person…but he became an important part of my morning routine this year. Most days, I’d make myself a cup of coffee…open the LinkedIn app…and there was Ed…smiling and sharing his wisdom with the LinkedIn community. I will miss him dearly. And his signature sign-off: “thanks for coming to my #EdTalk”. RIP my LinkedIn friend.
Wow! I’m surprised to learn of Ed’s passing given his ongoing optimism during the past year. He was so inspiring to a large community of job seekers and fellow recruitment professionals.
My sincere condolences to his spouse, his family, and friends.
Never met Ed in real life, but we’ve been friends on Quora for probably around 6 years. We would chat and debate every now and then and I was always struck how kind and genuine he was for never meeting him in person. Even when we would disagree (which was often), he was kind and respectful….which feels very rare online.
Anyways, I am so sorry for the families and friends’ loss and I will miss reading all his fun content and having little friendly debates.
My heartfelt condolences to Ed’s wife and family. Ed touched so many people through his heartfelt LinkedIn posts. You could see his soul and love for others in every word he wrote. I’m really sad to hear about his passing. Knowing that Ed is now with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ offers great solace.
Though I never met Ed personally we connected through LinkedIn and the Recruiter Realm. Ed was truly one of the good ones, and with every student talk I gave I suggested he’s one to follow and listen to on LinkedIn.
He always had a positive outlook, and could make you laugh and inspire you with a few simple words. I will remember his generous spirit, dedication to helping others, sage advice/wisdom, straight talk, sense of humor, and his love of Bruce and all things 80’s music. I loved his “EdTalks” and would often start my day reading his wisdom and listening the the music he chose to accompany the post.
Please accept my heartfelt condolences. His legend will live on through the posts he shared, and the memories we will carry with us.
I am a proud to have connected with Ed through the mutual work he and I did in different states focused on LinkedIn and career coaching. I will miss reading Ed’s content and engaging with him. He was a good man who cared for others.
I met Ed on an online forum discussing ethics and religion. He was so warm, congenial, optimistic, and such an advocate for others. Got to meet him in person only once and only kept in sporadic touch, but I’m grateful to have had any connection in this lifetime. All my best to his loved ones.
So sorry for your loss. Ed was such a wonderful person and his absence will be felt in the Recruiting community.
Condolences to all of you. Ed was a wonderfully giving colleague in our virtual LinkedIn world. He shared so much with so many people professionally and always helped as much as he could. I wrote a post about him on LinkedIn as did so many others. (I mailed you a copy of the post.) He will be missed by so many of us.
There are no words.
There never are.
Ed made such a powerful impact on so many of us via LinkedIn. He was one of the first recruiter influencer voices I discovered in my early days on the platform. His relentless optimism & passion for his work made me want to join talent acquisition someday — and because of him, I ultimately was able to make the transition after several years in higher ed. He is deeply missed and I send all my love and prayers to his family & friends. There isn’t anyone out there like him; he is a singular rarity and anyone who knew him was all the better for it.
I knew Ed from LinkedIn. He was always a calming and inspiring presence there. Ed was a true champion for jobseekers, and I so greatly appreciated his wisdom, his outlook, and his kind heart. He will be missed. I am sending you my heartfelt condolences.
Please accept my sincere condolences and prayers for your great loss. I knew Ed was having some health issues, but I didn’t know they were this serious, since he always became active again, offering advice.
I met Ed through LinkedIn and I have shared many of his posts over the years. They were always informative and helpful to me and others. He always thanked me for sharing, and Ed became a connection of mine on LinkedIn. Although we never met in person, he became a friend and colleague. I will certainly miss his insights and posts.
Sincerely,
Sandra Glanton
I met Ed when I was 13 years old. My parents had dumped me off to visit my big sister at Albright so they could go vacation somewhere without worrying about me burning the house down.
Within a few minutes of me arriving at “Court”, the Co-Ed dormitory, my sister pawned me off on group of dudes that were pretty cool.
Ed, Matt, Pete, and Brian.
They showed me how a light bulb still glows in a microwave if you wrap the metal thread with duct tape.
There was some hazing for me that weekend, and now I know why I’m immune to Tabasco.
Cora and Ed started dating shortly after that, and he’s been my big brother ever since. For 34 years, I’ve loved him.
You are missed Ed. Thank you for being the most awesome partner for my sister and a huge influence on me.
Brian.
I met Ed only through Quora App, as we both created articles and contributed to our role-playing passion — Dungeons & Dragons.
I will always remember him for the helpful insights he offered and also for his kind compliments. And I will always remember the conversations we had as genuine and some even heartfelt.
Thank you, Ed for being there and for your help. May God bless you and keep you and may your family always be safe.
Ed was always the first person to post a kind word on LinkedIn, reach out to help, and be generous with his time and support.
I think what would make Ed particularly happy is to know that he created a wonderful example of openness, kindness, and spiritual generosity that will resonate across so many online platforms, as well as among those who were lucky enough to know him in real life.
I never met Ed in person (we connected on Quora, where we shared many conversations), but I wanted to let his friends and family know how much he meant to a lot of people out there. Smart, kind, and well-informed, he never hesitated to share his knowledge with the world and helped thousands of people’s lives be just a little bit better. He will be missed by a lot of folks. Rest in peace.
Cora, I am so sorry to hear of Ed’s passing. I am thinking of you and your family and praying that you all can find some comfort knowing he is finally at peace ❣️ 🥰
Deeply, deeply sorry to hear of Ed’s passing. He had a huge impact on people all over the world with his spirit and generosity. You could sense the type of person he was, only having met him online. He was so inspirational through his health battles. Sending heartfelt hugs from Melbourne, Australia.
Ed was a fine example of a human being. He was genuinely interested in everyone’s viewpoint and was supportive even when he needed support himself. As is your desire, Ed, you’ll get no “sad” or “care” emojis from me. I am filled with joy that you counted me among your friends, and those closest to you are exponentially more blessed. May you all take comfort from having known this man and the piece of his heart he kept only for you. His was a life lived, and loved, well.
On my first day in Dallas Jacobs math class at NA, Ed took one look at my anxious face and immediately befriended me.
I have no words. The world is so much dimmer without his light. But I know his memory will forever be a blessing to all of us.
To Cora and the Han family, I send you my love
I went back and forth on whether I should post a comment here, but I think I will.
I never met Ed in person, and I’d wager that he was unaware of my very existence. That being said, as someone who enjoyed quora’s tabletop gaming and fantasy content, I am quite familiar with his work. I enjoyed reading his well educated and well intentioned answers and comments on the page on many an occasion, and I hope that I can simply represent the very wide number of people that his poignant and kind words touched.
My condolences to Ed’s family and friends. He will be missed in many small ways by tons of people.
I’m so sorry for your loss! I didn’t know him outside of Quora where he posted very well written and thoughtful answers to community questions. I enjoyed his writing and was sorry to hear he passed away! I’ll be praying for you all in this hard time!
As one of the many who knew Ed through LinkedIn and various webinars, posts or articles he wrote, I send my sincere condolences to Ed’s family and friends. As many before me have said, he didn’t hesitate to reach out to help someone with a question. All you needed to do was to tag him and like the superhero that he was, he would come to your aid and try to help you sort it out. He grew up in Livingston, which is where I’ve been living since 1993. Our paths never crossed in person. We became acquainted online in 2018 through LinkedIn. May his memory be for a blessing.
I never had the chance to meet Ed in person, unfortunately. Geography got in our way as I live in South Africa. I wanted to leave a message to show you how far Ed’s positive LinkedIn posts reached! We used to chat a lot on Social Media – LinkedIn and Facebook and I always had the greatest respect for how helpful his posts were for Job Seekers. Ed was one of the good ones. One of the Recruiters who really cared. He has left us too soon! Sending love and light to those left behind. Thank you for being you, Ed 🙂
My thoughts and prayers go out to Ed’s family. I met Ed when I was in between jobs back the mid 2000’s at PSG. His expertise, help and encouragement working with many of us to get that next job was invaluable. His obituary says it all. A kind, caring person always looking out for others. May Ed Rest in Peace.
Ed and I met at PSG in Trenton years ago and worked together on a Newsletter and in job seekers thereafter. I went on to be a career coach and was always looking to Ed as someone who had expertise in people, job seekers and job seeking, and he was top in social media before social media was even a thing! His life was of service and was not taken for granted! Rest in Peace, Ed You taught so many people through your guidance! #EDTALKS
I first met Ed through the NJ Jobseekers networking group. I was always impressed with his authenticity, transparency and genuine care for those in job search. Ed later recruited me into Cenlar, where I spent 18 months, for which I am so grateful. In honor of his memory I penned the following:
Taken too soon
Quick with a smile,
a word of support,
a soft chuckle,
taken too soon.
Loyal to a fault,
Recruiter extraordinaire,
devoid of hubris, or guile,
taken too soon.
A listening ear,
a shoulder to lean on,
a sense making touchstone,
taken too soon.
A consummate communicator,
And witty quipster,
Possessor of true humility,
taken too soon.
A brave and steadfast warrior,
against the dreaded scourge,
Facing down the veil with valor,
taken too soon.
We are left in his absence,
to celebrate his life and legacy,
the light he brought to all he met.
I sense he would protest,
to make such a fuss,
I would retort, “Methinks thou dost protest too much!”
Safe journey old friend,
as you take your final rest,
I bid thee peace, and “Hail fellow well met”!
My heart goes out to Cora and the family as they process their loss and celebrate Ed’s legacy. My thoughts and prayers go with you!
Ed was kindness and optimism impersonated. I feel so fortunate to have met him in person at Trinity Jobseekers, and to have continued following his helpful advice on LinkedIn. We have all lost someone special, encouraging, and trustworthy. My heartfelt condolences to Cora, and to the Han Family.
I first met Ed through the NJ Jobseekers networking group. I was always impressed with his authenticity, transparency and genuine care for those in job search. Ed later recruited me into Cenlar, where I spent 18 months, for which I am so grateful.
My heart goes out to Cora and the family as they process their loss and celebrate Ed’s legacy. My thoughts and prayers go with you!
I knew Ed through LinkedIn. We originally met through the Recruiter Realm, although I did end up enjoying some of his EdTalks down the line as well. I also personally chatted with Ed a few times, and always found him to be insightful, positive, and caring. Ed didn’t seem to see barriers between people, only commonalities and opportunities for connections. While I have sadly never met him in person, I wanted his family to know of the incredible impact Ed had on so many people, as they process and grieve his loss. Fly high, my friend!
I’ve never met Ed in person but felt I knew a big part of him in the way he so freely gave of his time & energy.
My deepest condolences to Ed’s family – may they take comfort in knowing so many GREATLY appreciated his life, his sense of humor, talent & integrity.
Knowing Ed LOVED Bruce Springsteen I raise a toast to Ed, “Show a little faith, there’s magic in the night” – Thunder Road.
RIP, Ed!
Well-spoken and incredibly kind, Ed made a lasting impression. While working at Cenlar, I enjoyed every interaction I had with Ed. An absolute professional, I recall finding the right words to use during our meetings, so I didn’t sound “dumb”. His communication style made me sit up straight when I spoke with him. His demeanor demanded an intelligent response no matter the subject. Rest in Peace, mate.
Ed Han was a wonderful friend, mentor, and colleague. We never worked together directly though. I always read his tips for LinkedIn. He was always selfless in the time he gave to candidates and fellow recruiters. He was always kind. He’s everything that people should strive to be for each other.
Ed was beloved and respected by everyone we know. He was selfless in his kindnesses, always giving humbly, not trying to bring attention to himself. I was always touched by the way he would reach out to help others. Our recruitment community mourns the loss of one of the GOATs. Yes, the greatest among us are the ones who serve us all.
Prayers for all of his family members. May the memories you share bring you comfort.
Ed and I met more than thirty years ago at work, but our friendship was built on our shared languages of gaming and Springsteen. For three decades, we had the opportunity to delve the deepest dungeons, sail through the darkness of space, and fight supervillains together. And we got to see Bruce together twice.
We logged a lot of miles, told a lot stories, and – at the gaming table – got to live out a lot of dreams. I’ve been gaming since I was in grade school, but I think I’ve thrown dice more with Ed than with anyone else. Our most recent gaming session together was a great one (the “series finale” of a game that spanned the better part of a decade), but it’s tough to think that it’ll be our last. It kills me that they’re filming a Springsteen movie on location in Jersey and I couldn’t forward the story to him. There have been a dozen other articles or stories I’ve seen this week and thought “Hey, Ed would’ve appreciated that.”
My deepest condolences to Cora and the rest of Ed’s family. We all know what a great guy Ed was and the shadow that he leaves behind. To me, he was a dear friend and gaming companion, and the range of responses here show the huge ripples he had across so many lives in so many different ways. He was loved, and he will be missed.
I don’t have the words to end this, but there’s a reason Ed and I hold The Boss in such reverence:
The road is long and seeming without end
The days go on, I remember you my friend
And though you’re gone and my heart’s been emptied it seems
I’ll see you in my dreams
– Bruce Springsteen
I met Ed nearly two years ago through LinkedIn. As a former recruiter, I quickly found his morning #EdTalks to be a highlight of my daily routine. His Friday posts, always featuring a classic 80s music video, were a personal favorite.
Over time, Ed and I exchanged countless messages. He was instantly likable—a quality that’s rare enough—but he also earned respect effortlessly.
We often joked about meeting up for biscuits and gravy at Cracker Barrel and shared laughs over the quirks of recruiting.
The news of his passing was a shock, especially as he remained so deeply positive, even to the very end.
Ed will be profoundly missed. He was one of the good ones.
My deepest condolences to his loved ones.
Gone too soon, but the best usually are. I’ve known Ed for many years through the PSG family. Nothing ever stopped Ed from giving of himself to others – a kind word, help with a connection, his wordsmithing magic, and being there every step of the way. He touched so many and had an everlasting impact. I think you already know how remarkable and special he was. Rest in peace, Ed. My heartfelt sympathies to his family.