Remembering Ambassador Edward Ney
We are saddened to announce the passing of Council member Edward N. Ney. Ambassador Ney died on January 8 at the age of 88.
Ambassador Ney served as Ambassador to Canada from 1989 to1992 and was the Chairman Emeritus of Young & Rubicam Advertising. Previously, he served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Young & Rubicam Inc., the world’s largest independent advertising communications company, for sixteen years.
In 1975, he was appointed by President Ford to the Board of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and then appointed by President Reagan to serve on the RFE/RL successor Board, the Board of International Broadcasting in 1983. From 1976 to1988, Ambassador Ney served as a Trustee of the National Urban League. He was a member of the Executive Committee on The Grace Commission, President Reagan’s Private Sector Survey on Cost Control from 1982 to1986. He also was Chairman of the Visiting Committee on Afro-American Studies at Harvard from 1977 to1984, and became a member of the Advertising Hall of Fame in 1988.
Ambassador Ney was a member of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Advisory Board, the Council on Foreign Relations, and Trustee of the Museum of Television and Radio (MTR) in New York City. Ambassador Ney was also a Life Director of the Advertising Council and the American Association of Advertising Agencies. He served as a Director for Barrick Gold, the Power Corporation, Mattel Corporation, and I.D.T.C. (Integrated Defense Technologies).
Ambassador Ney held Honorary Degrees from Amherst College, Georgetown University Business School, Iona College and St. Lawrence University. Additionally, he was a Trustee of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University and the President George H. W. Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University.
Ambassador Ney is survived by his wife, Patricia Murray Wood. He has three children from a previous marriage: Nicholas Hayes Ney; Hilary St. Clair Ney and Michelle Kilduff, as well as five grandchildren, Kristina, Andrew, Kimberly, Conor and Hunter, and two great-grandchildren.
A wake will be held on Friday, January 10 at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home (1076 Madison Avenue, New York, NY) from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Ambassador Ney’s funeral mass is scheduled for Saturday, January 11 at St. Vincent Ferrer Roman Catholic Parish (869 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY) from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. A reception will follow the mass. It is tentatively scheduled to be held at the Racquet and Tennis Club (370 Park Avenue, New York, NY).
In lieu of flowers or other gifts, the family requests that contributions be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, NYC Chapter’s Education and Training Program and mailed to:
Alzheimer’s Association NYC
360 Lexington Avenue, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
