Edwin Colon

We are sad to announce the passing of Edwin Colon of Reading, PA. He died at age 75, on Thursday, May 25, 2023. "Eddie" passed away surrounded by his loved ones, after a difficult battle with cancer.

Edwin was born on October 19, 1947, in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

As a small child he relocated to Berks County with his parents, the late Heriberto Colon Laboy, Sr., and Carmen L. Laboy, and his 12 brothers and sisters: the late Heriberto Colon; the late Sadie Doreen Laboy; the late Sesa Colon; the late Angelo Colon; the late Mary Lou Bailey; Judy A. Laboy; Bonnie Laboy; Marguerite Pina-Barrera; Gloria Figueroa; Santa Rivera; Blaine Laboy; and Pete Laboy.

The Colons were one of only a few families, at the time, from the island of Puerto Rico to settle in the downtown Reading area in the late 50s.

As a young man he enjoyed the sport of Gymnastics and he earned his GED in 1967. He later attended Pace Institute of Reading where he earned an associates degree in Business.

He is the loving widower of Nymia Colon whom he married on October 19, 1968 in St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, where they were members.

He fathered three children: Edwina Colon-Vazquez, Angelo Emilio Colon, and Antoinette Lydia Colon- Davidson. He was the loving grandfather of Alexis Nicole Freytiz, Dominic Cyrus Colon, Angelo Edwin Colon, Dominique Celine Vazquez, Joseph Gabriel Vazquez, and Sophia Antoinette Sowers, and his first great-grandchild is expected.

He worked in the manufacturing industry and enjoyed dressing up in his Sunday best suits and taking a ride in his antique car. He retired from Carpenter Technology of Reading in 2001.

He had an attention to detail and had an artistic flair with fashion and the fine arts.

He can often be remembered holding a newspaper with a Newport hanging out of his mouth while he complained about social injustices within our community. His old-fashioned conservative views didn't always align with his kids' but he wasn't afraid to be the voice for the downtrodden.

Eddie was a volunteer within the Berks County community, often recruited by his civic-minded wife, "Nymee" to coach a Hispanic Women's Softball Team. He was the volunteer Gymnastics Coach at Amanda Stout Elementary School in Reading in the 90s. He was also a volunteer for the Latino Youth Camp, sponsored by the Puerto Rican Latin Association. Under this association he was a Carnival Committee member. Edwin and Nymia provided many children with refuge by sharing their home.

His hobbies included listening to an array of music genres including Classic Rock and R&B. He had a jukebox in the rec room where he enjoyed slow dancing with his beautiful wife.

Flowers are welcome to be sent to Kuhn Funeral Home of West Reading for the service, details below. Contributions on Edwin's memory may be offered to the Animal Rescue League, www.berksarl.com, or to the American Cancer Society, https://donate.cancer.org/.

The Celebration of Life will be Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at 3 p.m., at Kuhn Funeral Home, at 739 Penn Ave, West Reading. The family will receive guests from 1 p.m. until the start of services. Committal will be held on Monday, June 5, at 11 a.m., at Berks County Memorial Gardens, at 201 Evansville Rd, Fleetwood. Condolences may be expressed at kuhnfuneralhomes.com.