Ed & Sally Dalglish

Sally (Soudan) and Ed Dalglish from Harborweek, PA, near Erie, were high school sweethearts and have been married for 64 years. They continue to live a full and active, though more slowly now, life. They have four sons and ten grandchildren. Sally is a 15 year cancer survivor, Ed for 3 years. Sally is 83, Ed is 86 years old.

Sally is an artist. A stay-at-home mom, she has created numerous oil paintings for family and friends. At a local college she studied interior design, then formed a business, Distinctive Interiors. She designed and general contracted our home of the last 30 years on the bank of Lake Erie. An active church member, among other activities, she played and directed the handbell choir for 20 years. She enjoyed water skiing, downhill skiing, and tennis.

In 2006 Sally was diagnosed with sino-pharageal carcinoma and entered M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. She was intensively treated there as an outpatient and inpatient. She also had a metastatic brain “spot”. Aggressive chemotherapy and radiation, including stereotactic radiation, occurred. At a period of overlap, she was admitted to the ER, coded and had a near death episode! Two weeks on the inpatient floor, including intensive care, followed. The MDA treatments continued for 7 months, but the follow-up visits for observation and scans were done for several years. In 2007, she had the “spot” surgically removed from her brain. Today she still has no sense of smell, no taste, and short-term memory loss. She is a fortunate survivor, if you will, a Warrior.

Ed graduated in 1957 from Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, PA. He majored in Chemistry. After serving two years in the U.S. Army as a lieutenant, he joined an Erie company in 1960 as an adhesive specialist. By the late 70s, he was Vice President and General Manager of the chemical division. Thirty years there led to 5 years as Vice President of a local large medical center. Ed was an athlete; loved golf, played football in college, tennis, water and downhill skiing, coaching sons at baseball and basketball.

In 2018, Ed was diagnosed with lymphoma. Earlier he was treated for several skin melanomas. After regular chemotherapy and radiation, the cancer was destroyed but still requires annual scans. He is a survivor but not the Warrior of his wife’s caliber. Also he has written two books. “About Ed” is his memoir, “LaLa” is Sally’s biography.

We thank you for the honor of being Challenge To Conquer Cancer Warriors. We also acknowledge the time and efforts of all those volunteering for C3. God bless you all!