Marshfield, VT Edward Justin Pfeifer was born to Mary Calkins Pfeifer and Charles S. Pfeifer in Detroit, Michigan on November 22, 1920. He moved with his family to Montpelier, Vermont in 1931 and graduated from St. Michael's Elementary School in 1935 and St. Michael's High School in 1939. In January of 1943, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from St. Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont. Upon graduation, he served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during WWII aboard the destroyer, USS Albert W. Grant (DD649). For his service, he was awarded numerous honors including the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. He then attended graduate studies at Brown University earning a Master's Degree in American Civilization. From 1951 to 1953, he was recalled into active duty with the U.S. Navy serving aboard the USS Cogswell (DD651) and at the U.S. Navy Training Center in Newport, Rhode Island until his honorable discharge. He then returned to Brown University where he earned his Ph.D. in American Civilization. He began his initial career with Saint Michael's College in 1948 working in the English Department retiring from faculty in 1986 with over thirty years of teaching and mentoring as a professor in the History Department and serving as the Academic Dean from 1965-1970. In 1957, he married Joan Sheehey in Burlington. She survives him with along with their four children and their spouses, Justine and Francis Landry of South Burlington, Elizabeth Sweeney of Montpelier, John and Brenda Pfeifer of South Burlington and Marty and Julie Pfeifer of Dedham, MA. He is survived by eight grandchildren, Matthew and Nicolas Landry, Hannah and her husband Christopher Guilmette, Joshua and Benjamin Pfeifer, Jessica, Jennifer and Colin Sweeney and one great grandson, Jack Thomas Guilmette. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews from the Paul and Elizabeth Sheehey and the Robert and Joyce Stanton families. Since 1991, he had resided with his wife in Cabot, Vermont. He was truly an honorable family man, caring and generous, highly recognized for his academic achievements and remembered and admired by his former students and colleagues. There will be no calling hours. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, February 2, 2016 at St. Augustine's Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice.