Edward L. Doheny, Ph.D.

Dr. Edward L. “Ed” Doheny of Cherry Hill, New Jersey passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 5, 2025.  He was 89 years old. Ed was born on November 1, 1935, in New York City, son of Edward James Doheny and Mary Ellen Foley. He was the beloved husband of the late Ellen B. Doheny (nee Rocco) for 56 years; Father of Edward J. (Kimberly) Doheny of Bel Air, MD and Michael K. (Jessica) Doheny of Wenonah, NJ; Loving grandpa of Brian (Amber), Patrick, Carolyn, Jillian and Joanna Doheny, and great-grandfather of Killian Doheny.

Ed attended St. Angela Merici and Cardinal Hayes catholic schools in Bronx, New York. He enlisted in the Navy and served from 1953-58 in active duty and the reserves from 1958-61. While on active duty, he was stationed overseas in Morocco as a radio operator. He utilized the GI bill to further his education, earning his Bachelor of Science in geology from The City University of New York in 1962. He was also married in 1962 and shortly after, he and Ellen moved to Bloomington, Indiana for his master’s and doctoral degrees, where “Eddie” was born in 1965. He earned his PhD in geology in 1967 from Indiana University, and the family then moved to an apartment in Cherry Hill, NJ.  Michael was born in 1970, and a few months later, the family moved into their family home on Greenvale Road. Ed and Ellen loved baseball, rooting for the New York Mets, while their sons loved the Phillies. The Doheny household could be counted on for a rousing debate about the two teams’ performance in almost any conversation, with the game on the radio or TV in the background. He often attended baseball games at Veterans Stadium and Citizens Bank Park with his wife and children, or with some of his work colleagues, who also became close friends. He loved to read and stay informed about current events.  He also loved music and taught himself to play acoustic guitar, banjo, and harmonica. When outside of work, he could always be seen proudly sporting his blue NAVY cap.

Ed’s other passion was teaching. He was a skilled educator and valued mentor to many, and frequently his family will hear from a former student that “he was my favorite instructor” or that “they owed their future/career” to Dr. Doheny. He was a Professor of Engineering Geology in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Drexel University from 1967-2000 and the Director of the Engineering Geology Program. Ed held a Professional Geologist license from Pennsylvania. He began teaching at the University of Pennsylvania in 1993 and in 2000 founded the Professional Program in Applied Geoscience. He was a lecturer and senior graduate advisor in the program, based in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science until 2021. His teaching, combining the theoretical areas of geology with technical expertise in engineering, allowed his students to develop practical solutions to environmental challenges and find successful careers. Throughout his career, Ed was recognized for his outstanding teaching with awards, including several at Drexel and Penn’s Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden Award for Distinguished Teaching and Career Mentoring of Students. At the regional level, he received the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching and the Outstanding Professor Award from the Pennsylvania Section of the American Institute of Professional Geologists. He was also nationally recognized by being named to the 2011 Irish Education 100.

Ed’s family will receive friends & relatives on Monday, April 14th, 2025, from 9:00-10:45 AM, at Christ Our Light RC Church, 402 Kings Hwy., Cherry Hill, NJ; where his Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11 AM. Interment, Colestown Cemetery, Cherry Hill. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in honor of Ed may be made to the Church at the above address (www.christourlight.net); where Ed was a longtime parishioner or to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10306 (www.t2t.org).