The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) deeply mourns the passing of our dear friend and longtime MRFF supporter, Ed Asner.
Ed, himself a military veteran, was an American icon as BOTH a superb and celebrated actor, as well as a tenacious, never-say-die, civil rights activist.
I first met Ed many years ago in Hollywood at a fundraiser for MRFF organized by another late Hollywood and civil rights icon, Stanley Scheinbaum.
From the very first moment he heard what we were doing, Ed was never too busy to enthusiastically pitch in and help.
And help he did!
Ed personally appeared in MRFF media pieces and attended MRFF fundraisers in the L.A. area. His broad, selfless, and determined support for MRFF resulted in Ed’s winning of the MRFF 2010 ‘Thomas Jefferson Award’, which is our highest honor.
Ed and I spoke many times over the passage of the years concerning the endless challenges of MRFF’s mission to support Constitutionally-mandated church/state separation in our American armed forces. I will miss his sage counsel, magnificent sense of humor and wit, and his constantly supportive statements and actions. Whenever I might get low from this often brutal MRFF fight, Ed was always there to personally exhort me to dive back into the arena and continue this civil rights struggle.
There is a hole in MRFF’s heart today with the passing of this genuine Giant of a caring human being.
We will miss you, Ed! We will stay IN this fight and never forget your irreplaceable contributions to MRFF, my brother.
Our most profound empathy and sympathy to the entire Asner family.