Obituary of: Edwin Forry Hargitt, 75
June 18, 2010
Edwin Forry Hargitt died on June 3, 2010, in the Aylesham Court Nursing Home near Leicestershire, England where he had lived for the past seven years. Death was attributed to a rare disease known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy, which was diagnosed in 1996.
He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on August 12,1934 and was the son of the late Caroline Macy Malott and Paul Lee Hargitt Sr., and the great grandson of Volney T Malott, founder of the Indiana National Bank. He grew up in Indianapolis, attended Park Tudor School, graduated from Wabash College and did graduate work at Purdue University.
In 1961, Edwin and Elmer Bruhn, head of the School of Aeronautical Engineering at Purdue University started the Dahl Corporation, introducing a stock market technical trading method developed by Professor Bruhn. Dennis Dunn joined the firm in 1965 and added a commodity futures advisory service. In 1967, Ed and Dennis purchased Professor Bruhn’s interest and formed Dunn & Hargitt, Inc.
With the help of Edwin’s brother David in Europe, Dunn & Hargitt, Inc. became the largest commodity portfolio manager in futures trading for non-US citizens in Europe.
Dunn & Hargitt had a number of firsts in the futures business including compiling a historical commodity database of commodity future prices, and one of the first open-end commodity funds in the United States.
Dunn & Hargitt expanded into several other businesses including the restoration of the John Purdue Block and Growing Child, a child development newsletter with worldwide circulation which has served over seven million families. A highlight for Dunn & Hargitt’s 75 employees was the annual Christmas party where Ed’s magic show always delighted everyone.
In 1985 Dennis Dunn purchased Mr. Edwin Hargitt’s interest and he relocated first to Switzerland and then to London, England, where he and his wife, Kay Brandeaux, built a successful investment product for investors in land leases and college housing, at one time reaching annual sales of $1 billion.
Mr. Hargitt lived more than 25 years in West Lafayette, IN and was an active member in the Covenant Presbyterian Church, Rotary International and other local interests.
Surviving siblings are David Lee Hargitt (Michele) Brussels, and Jeanne Forry Hargitt-Herrick Indianapolis, IN. Preceding him in death were Carolyn “Betty Lyn” Malott Johnson-Hutchinson/Heifield, Paul Lee Jr. Hargitt and Charles Malott Hargitt.
Ed married Marea Jayne Wobie in 1956 and they had five children: Edwin Forry II (Donna), Alexandria KY, Charles Victor (deceased), Russell Cushing (Sarah), Fishers IN, DanLee Malott (Mary) Monticello, IN, and Marea Eden (Art Bigelow), Cleveland, OH.
In 1966 Ed married Verma Lee “Vel” Steely of Monticello IN. They had one child: David Edmond (Jamie) Fayetteville, NC.
In 1983 he married Kay Brandeaux who survives with stepchildren Annabelle Robertson, Sumter SC, Laura Jackson (Shaun), North Shore New Zealand, and Macy Calderon (Nino) Hillsborough, NC. Also surviving are 10 grandchildren.
Ed was a son, father, husband, brother, uncle, and a good friend to those he loved. He found inspiration and comfort in his Christian faith and looked forward to the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
His remains were cremated and spread in England, his brain was donated to University College London, Institute of Neurology.
A memorial service in Indiana will be held at a later date.
