Edwin Charkles Ahern (1886-1949)
 
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Ed Ahern, c.1926 with personal message to Sandy Balcom. Bill Bunch collection.
 
From John Landon's file of theatre organists:
 
Ed Ahern was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 4, 1886. He studied piano privately in Chicago beginning at age 6 through age 14. At age 14, he enrolled in Chicago conservatory where he studied piano under Guiseppe LaVerdi and pipe organ under George Schappert.
 
Mr. Ahern arrived on the West Coast in 1907 where he directed a theatre orchestra in Aberdeen, Washington.
 
In 1914 he was hired by William Southern to play the Kimball theatre organ in the Grand Theatre in Bellingham, Washington.
 
In 1922 and 1923 he played the Kimball pipe organ in the Liberty Theatre in Bellingham.
 
On March 25, 1926 he opened the Avalon Theatre Wurlitzer. He initiated half hour concerts at noon at the Avalon Theatre in October, 1926.
 
He was a music teacher and taught piano and organ from his studio from 1926 on.
 

Another portrait of Ed Ahern, date unknown. Courtesy Jeff Fox.