Camp, counselors and camaraderie

Photo: Sharon Bouchard

Ed Muzik

WATERFORD – Ed Muzik’s love for Maine started as a young boy from New Jersey spending summers at Camp Waganaki. Later when his father took over the running of Camp McWain it further cemented his appreciation of the Pine Tree State.

The Muziks spend six months of the year at Camp McWain and the other six months are spent in Greenbrook, New Jersey.

Q: Where were you born and where were you brought up?

A: I was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey and was brought up in Lynden, New Jersey.

Q: Do you have many siblings?

A: I have one sister who is 18 months younger than me.

Q: What did your parents do?

A: They both worked for the Central Railroad of New Jersey, which is where they met and later my father became an Industrial Arts teacher and my mother a housewife.

Q: What was it like growing up?

A: It was nice. I used to walk to school, which was only about three-quarters of a mile from home. There was a dairy farm on the way and I used to cut through there. One time my father hit a cow crossing the street, but neither the cow nor my father was hurt.

There was a park on the corner of my street and I went there to ice skate and play baseball and basketball. From the age of 10, I spent summers in Maine. A family friend owned Camp Waganaki, a boys’ camp and my father came up here to work. I went to camp and we stayed at Camp McWain.

Q: Was there anything you wanted to be when you grew up?

A: Probably a teacher, which is what I became.

Q: Where did you go to school?

A: I went to Lynden High School and Uppsala College in Orange, NJ.

Q: Did you get into mischief or play pranks?

A: The worst thing I ever did was with a buddy who lived across the street. His grandparents owned an apple orchid and they had a dog house near the orchid. We wanted to see what it would be like to burn the dog house so that’s what we did. We got into a bit of trouble on that one.

Q: What have you done for jobs?

A: During high school I was a soda jerk at a place just around the corner. I got paid 35 cents an hours. I drove a delivery truck for a cleaners for a while. I worked for a sporting goods store when I got out of college then got drafted into the Army.

I got an early release from the Army to teach and I taught 5th grade for 38 years. My father bought Camp McWain in 1964 and I worked for him during the summers.

Q: When and how did you meet your spouse?

A: June got hired as a secretary at the school where I taught.

Q: Do you have any children?

A: We have four: Barbara June, David Emile, Mary, Ruth and we have three grandchildren.

Q: Anyone ever said you look like someone famous?

A: No, but my name did. We went to a seaplane museum in Ireland and there had been a famous pilot with the same name though a different spelling. The people there got excited when they saw my name tag.

Q: Did you do much traveling?

A: We’ve been to Ireland twice. We’ve been to Hawaii and Alaska. One year we took a 42-day trip in a pick-up/camper. We went across Canada and the United States, over the Rockies and to Disney Land in California. We covered 9,600 miles in that pick-up/camper.

Q: Which place was the most fascinating and why?

A: Alaska because it’s a lot like Maine and going there was my idea.

Q: Did anyone influence you to the point of changing your direction in life?

A: Some of my teachers and counselors at Camp Waganaki.

Q: Do you collect anything or have a hobby?

A: I collect clutter; a little bit of everything.

Q: What is the last book you read?

A: Calico Joe by John Grisham.

Q: What subject to you wish you knew more about?

A: Everything! I’m interested in everything.

Q: Any heroes?

A: The counselors at Camp Waganaki during the 1940’s and 1950’s.

Q: What is the one thing you would not give up?

A: My family.

Q: What is the one thing you would happily do over again?

A: I have no need to do anything over again. I like to do new things.

Q: What is the best memory this interview brought back?

A: Just that June and I love the life we’re in right now and love to share it with all our friends.

Q: Any Regrets?

A: Never winning the lottery.

Q: Last day on earth what would you do and with whom?

A: I’d have a reunion with all my family and friends.

Q: Any heroes?

A: The counselors at Camp Waganaki during the 1940’s and 1950’s.