Edward Warren
Mr. Warren was known as one of the foremost authorities in Demonology in the
field of the Supernatural. His work helped in combating demonic forces and entities
from the homes and lives of countless individuals through the means of spiritual
intervention, exorcism, and research.
Ed Warren, 79, one of the original "Ghost Hunters," was born on September 7, 1926. The Demonologist, Author, Lecturer, Paranormal Researcher and Ghost Hunter, passed away peacefully on August 23, 2006, in his Monroe, Connecticut home. His wife and partner of 61 years, Lorraine, was by his side.
Warren's research took him and his wife to many places where few dare to follow; the ethereal world of spirits and the unexplained.
While growing up, Ed recalled experiencing paranormal activity in his Bridgeport, Connecticut home. A few of these frightening occurrences included, pounding in the walls, footsteps, and ghostly apparitions. Ed's father, a policeman, told young Ed that there was a practical explanation for everything that was taking place in the home and not to put much thought into it. But the curious boy put a great deal of thought into these baffling episodes because they left no room for ambiguity in his mind.
What Ed Warren couldn't have known at the time was that the phenomenon he was experiencing was a distinctive hallmark pattern often associated with haunted dwellings. This only fueled his interests in the ghostly world, and thus paved a future path which would lead Warren to the ethereal realm and beyond.
In 1943, while yet a young boy of 17 years old, Ed joined up with the efforts of World War II and served with the U.S. Navy aboard a merchant ship with the armed guard. While in the North Atlantic, a fire rocked the ship and sent men scrambling for their own lives. Ed's heroic efforts had not gone unnoticed; he saved the life of a fellow sailor and also managed to survive. He was later decorated for his actions of bravery.
On May 22, 1945, Ed married Lorraine Moran in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Little did the couple know that their meeting and union would eventually set in motion, a gratifying and often controversial career as world renown psychic investigators. After Ed's release from the U.S. Navy, he enrolled in Art School in New Haven and began painting real haunted houses and winter landscapes. He and Lorraine's journeys took them through New England in search of haunted places which Ed would paint in trade for a closer peek inside.
It was during one of their first cases that Lorraine realized her latent psychic abilities. She honed her gifts and integrated them (clairvoyant and light trance medium skills) into their investigations, which enabled her to communicate with, sense, hear, and feel the spirits.
Ed was a stanch believer in the ethereal world, demons and the unexplained. He became a proficient Demonologist, and being one of seven in the area at that time, used his skills during investigations, which sometimes brought them face to face with diabolical forces and possessed individuals. The Warrens also incorporated their deep faith and help from the Catholic church during their investigations, where blessings and exorcisms were performed as a means of expunging the entities involved.
Hauntings and exorcisms is a rough business to be involved with and as a result Ed suffered personal attacks during his work. One such attack happened during an investigation at the infamous "Amityville Horror" house in Long Island, New York. While downstairs in the basement, Ed began using religious commands to dispel the entities and was nearly pushed down. It was a frightening and all too real experience for Ed that he would never forget.
Their work set them on the map as world famous "Seekers of the Supernatural" as they liked to say, and lectured in Japan, England, Australia, and at colleges and universities in the United States for at least 3 decades. Over the years they came across many unusual and frightening hauntings. And while many of those hauntings took place in the U.S., many of their journeys found them leading tours of Scotland and England, which is known for its historic bloody past and ghostly sightings and disturbances.
The Warrens were often sought out by desperate home owners and families in need of help and took on as many as 10,000 cases. As a result there was often a positive outcome and in some instances, deliverance from malevolent entities. In some cases the entities returned or could not be expelled. Things are not always as easy as they seem in the ghost business but this was Ed's territory and he loved his work and believed in the good that could come from it.
Many skeptics bantered against the Warrens and threatened to expose them over the years as frauds, but Ed and Lorraine faced the adversity together, while defending their beliefs and experiences with knowledge and class. They managed to surmount the trials that came with the business as a dedicated and loyal team.
On
Death and The Afterlife
Once, while being interviewed, Ed was asked if he was afraid of death. His quick response was:
"No, I don’t fear it, not one iota, I know I’ll be going to a beautiful place, a place so spectacular it defies words."
Compelling words spoken from a truly devoted, confident, and spiritual man who believed in the afterlife.
A Sensitive Man
Most people recall Ed Warren as the famous Demonologist/Ghost Hunter, but there was much more to the man than just chasing after shadows and lecturing. Ed Warren was also known for being a kind-hearted and sensitive man. He loved people and often found the time to answer the phone at all hours to help a person in distress or in need of counsel, he also loved animals and was known for his compassionate treatment of them.
Farewell
In 2001, Ed suffered a stroke and lost his ability to speak and remained homebound from there on. Five years later, on August 23, 2006, he died quietly in his home. Ed was buried on August 26, at Stepney Village Cemetery in Monroe, Connecticut, with full military honors.
Edward Warren is survived by his wife, Lorraine Warren, his daughter, Judy, son-in-law, Tony Spera, two grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and numerous family members.
In Conclusion
While Ed Warren has passed from this life and will be regarded lovingly by those who knew him, he will also be recalled by this author with respect. I can say with great certainty that I have personally benefited from some of the books written by the Warrens, which helped to impart some much needed wisdom, while also warning of the dangers that this field of work can produce, and finally, also the rewards that can be realized as a paranormal researcher.
Ed Warren will continue to be an inspiration for many advocates of the supernatural, many present and future investigators, and he will certainly continue to inspire this researcher for years to come.
From our physical realm, to your spiritual plain of existence, I bid you farewell Ed Warren and wish you a blessed and safe voyage on the golden seas that guide you to your new heavenly destination beyond.
In Memory
More About The Warrens
In 1952, the Warrens founded the New England Society for Psychic Research which is still in operation today.
They also opened the "Occult Museum," which has become a constant attraction over the years for enthusiast of the supernatural from all over the world.
Some Famous Investigations
"The Amityville Horror" house at 112 Ocean Avenue, in Long Island, New York, which was documented, along with the only photos inside the infamous house. The Warrens also served as consultants during the filming of the movie.
"The Haunting" of the Smurl Family which was documented in the book and followed up by a movie of the same name.
"The Devil in Connecticut"- The account of an 11 year-old possessed boy, which the family states was never possessed but mentally ill.
Books
In A Dark Place
The Devil In Connecticut
Satan's Harvest
The Haunted
The Demonologist
Werewolf
Deliver Us From Evil
The Ghost Hunters
Graveyard
Fast Forward 2009
Lorraine has gone on without her partner Ed, and continues to be a constant source of inspiration and help to those in spiritual need. She can be found at the New England Society for Psychic Research on the Internet.
Lorraine has been featured on: Discovery "A Haunting," "Paranormal State," and other paranormal documentaries.
Copyright ©Sylvia Zimmer 2008
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Sources
The New England Society for Psychic Research
New York Sun
Unsolved Mysteries.com
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