The Honorable Edward Robert Karazin, Jr. of Westport died peacefully in the company of loved ones at the age of 86 after a brief illness on July 19, 2026. Ed spent the last year of his life celebrating his more than six decades of marriage to his wife, Irene Karazin, his beloved “Renie,” and living each day as a caring and involved father and grandfather. 

Ed was born in Queens, New York to the late Ann and Edward R. Karazin, Sr. His father was an electrician who moved the family to Westport and started his company, Home Maintenance, when Ed was in the third grade. Ed attended Greens Farms Elementary School, Bedford Junior High School, and Staples High School, graduating in 1957. As a young man, he had an infectious smile, a bright wit, a mischievous personality, and an incredible gift of the spoken word. 

He was the first person in his family to attend college. He studied economics at Boston College, graduating in 1961. He was passionate about BC and its sports teams (even taking his family to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl in 1985 to see Doug Flutie lead the team to victory). After college, Ed attended Fordham Law School, commuting daily from Westport, and earned his J.D. in 1964.

On May 8, 1965, Ed married Renie and they began their life together. To fulfill his ROTC obligation, they moved to Fort Gordon, GA, where Ed was assigned to spend two years in the Army as a civil affairs officer. But, in November of 1965, Ed was sent to Vietnam for a one-year tour of duty working in the Pacification Program in Quang Tin Province as a MACV advisor. He served with distinction, and upon discharge he was presented with the Bronze Star. The Vietnamese government also awarded him the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross.

After returning from Vietnam, Ed began his legal career in Westport, serving as an assistant prosecuting attorney for the State of Connecticut and then working in private practice as a trial lawyer representing clients in civil cases and family law matters. In 1990, Ed was nominated to a state Superior Court judgeship. He accepted with honor and served in that capacity until becoming a Judge Trial Referee in 2010, a job he held until the day he died. For several years, he was the Chief Administrative Judge in Stamford, and in 2001-2002 under Ed’s leadership, the entire staff and operations successfully transitioned into Stamford’s new courthouse.

Ed was an involved member of the Westport community. Over the years he served as a Little League coach and board member, a Pop Warner board member, a lector at Assumption Church, a board member of the Levitt Pavilion, and a member of the Board of Finance. He led the annual Veterans Day ceremony at the Stamford courthouse, spoke at the Westport Veterans Day event, was a member of the VFW Post 399, and provided many hours of pro bono legal services for veterans. Ed served as Treasurer for Julie Belaga’s gubernatorial campaign in 1986. He was also an adjunct professor at Western Connecticut State University. 

Ed received many honors over the years, including the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Judicial Award in 2010, the Fairfield County Bar Association’s Robert J. Callahan Judiciary Award in 2017, which “recognizes dedication to the highest professional ideals, and long-term conscientious service to the community as a judge,” and in 2021, he was inducted into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame. In 2025, Ed was selected to be the Grand Marshall of the Westport Memorial Day parade, a fitting and culminating honor that reflected his many years as a devoted Westport resident and veteran. 

Ed’s top priority throughout his life was being a devoted husband, and loving father to his three children, Edward Robert Karazin, III, Deborah Karazin Owens, and Michael Alfred Karazin. He filled their lives with humor, support, advice (some solicited, some not), and plenty of wonderful life stories. He coached their sports teams, wrote them lengthy letters at summer camp, and attended their concerts and performances. He taught them important life skills such as how to throw a ball, how to drive and care for a car (never let the gas tank get under a quarter), how to fish and boat, how to make perfect mashed potatoes (cold butter, warm milk), and how to mix a spectacular cocktail. He instilled in them a solid work ethic (there was always weeding to be done), a respect for history (he pulled out the Declaration of Independence every 4^th of July), a zest for life (all it took was some ‘50s music for him to start singing along), and an understanding of the value of a dollar (he was a coupon-clipper and packed his lunch till the end).

Ed took great pride in being a grandparent, often wearing T-shirts representing the schools his grandchildren attended, and never failing to press a few dollars of “walkin’ around money” into their hands at the end of a visit. When they were little, he loved teaching them how to tell stories and engaging them in conversations. Many times, he would tell them about a legal case he was working on, describing the scenario and how each party had acted. Then he would ask, “What would the judge do?” They would talk, debate, engage, and learn to examine all sides of a complex problem. 

During the last decade, Ed and Renie spent the winters in Palm Desert, CA, where they developed a strong community of friends. Ed even seemed to be having a late-in-life athletic renaissance, being a clutch member of his titleholding bocce team, DeBoccery, and winning weekly prizes in the “Putters” league, where he was the 2024-25 champion.

He loved orchids, he was a huge sports fan (“Let’s Go Mets”), he was always on time, and he drew exactly one thing (a funny dog). He made homemade applesauce, he told great “dad” jokes, he enjoyed a good hot dog, and he loved vacations and traveling with Renie. He always had a “wrinkled but clean” tissue in his pocket, he had a chore list for any able-bodied person that came over to his house, he supported the arts, and he especially enjoyed an upbeat musical. He picked grapefruits in California and carefully pre-cut the segments for visiting guests. He simply loved people, and a good conversation.

Ed’s last day of life was remarkable in that he was able to speak to every grandchild on the phone, say his goodbyes and even – in true Ed fashion – impart some last words of wisdom. He was listening to “Blueberry Hill,” his favorite song by Fats Domino, as he passed on. 

Ed was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Ann Milo, and he is survived by his loving wife Renie and their children and grandchildren: Edward & Ursula Karazin (Christopher, Reilly, Amanda), Deborah & Jeffrey Owens (Katherine and Jack), and Michael Karazin (Kayla, Chloe, Zachary, Emma).

Visitation will take place on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Shaughnessey Banks Funeral Home, 50 Reef Road, Fairfield. A Mass of Christian Burial is set for Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026 at 10 a.m. at the Church of the Assumption, 98 Riverside Avenue, Westport. Interment with Military Honors will follow at Willowbrook Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to either Boston College or Fordham Law School.