Walter Edward (Ed) Cushen, born March 21, 1925 (Hagerstown, MD), passed away peacefully on January 23, 2020 after an accomplished life at the age of 94. Ed was a long-time resident of both Bethesda and Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Ed received his B.A. (Mathematics and Philosophy) from Western Maryland College (1948) where he graduated summa cum laude. He subsequently earned his PhD (Logic and Metaphysics) at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland (1951) and his Doctor of Science (ScD) from Western Maryland College (1966) and re-awarded by McDaniel College for his work and accomplishments in the field of Operations Research.
Throughout his professional career as a policy analyst in national security, Ed worked tirelessly in the design, implementation and analysis of Homeland Security exercises conducted by NSGC, including pandemic influenza, drug trafficking, terrorist WMD attacks, and border protection. His dedication to his country has been recognized by countless publications, awards, and accolades. In addition to working with the military, Ed completed assignments using operations research and systems analysis for ORO (Army), National Bureau of Standards, National Science Foundation, the CIA, Logistics Management Institute (LMI), FAA, and the Federal Power Commission. He also taught the Mathematics of Operations Research at Case Institute of Technology (Cleveland, Ohio). He served as President of the Operations Research Society of America (ORSA), received the Kimball Prize for service to the profession in 1992 and was a Fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS.)
His greatest joy was his home life, including his wife, Helen (married September 1, 1949) and their two children Donna & Mark.
Ed joins his wife Helen in Heaven and is survived by their children, Donna Michlin of Southington, CT; Mark (and partner Rene) Cushen of Palm Springs, CA; grandchildren: Alex (and wife Sara) Michlin of Whiteford, MD; Rebecca (and husband Dave) Terricciano of Southington, CT; and great granddaughter Claire Michlin.
Services will be held at Chevy Chase United Methodist Church later this year.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to UNC Charlotte Foundation: Friends of Mount Zion: Dig Mt. Zion Info
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Scharan M. Johnson
Director of Membership and Communities
INFORMS
Catonsville, MD
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