Philip Eden

Despite having no previous experience with, or even much knowledge of computing, Eden launched his most successful venture, ComputerLand of Erie, in 1983. (Indeed, Eden struggled all his life to operate a computer–except for the solitaire app.) It was one of the region’s first retailers of information technology, and its clients were some of the largest employers in Erie just as they were first computerizing their office systems at the dawn of the digital age, including General Electric, Hammermill Paper and Hamot Hospital.

In the mid 1990s, Eden invested in a brewpub then housed at downtown Erie’s art deco Union Station. It was the start of the craft-brewing revolution, and Eden, taking on a leadership role, helped transform the small business into a regional microbrewery, the Erie Brewing Company.

Philip Roy Pleszewski was born on Feb. 16, 1943, in Dunkirk, N.Y., while his father was serving on an aircraft carrier during World War II. He graduated from Dunkirk High School in 1961 and received a bachelors degree in finance from Gannon University in 1966, the first member of his family to receive a college degree.

Drafted into the U.S. Army at the height of the Vietnam War, he was stationed in Germany. He met the love of his life, Carleen Maya, an art teacher, while she was a student at Edinboro University. The pair took a months-long road trip through Europe in the summer of 1968 and were married two years later. They changed their name to Eden, Phil always maintained, because of the butchery his birth surname received at the hands of his army peers.

Known to his oldest friends by his childhood nickname “Buddy,” Eden had a reputation as a vibrant rogue with a biting sense of humor and a refined sartorial style. He was a supple salesman and fierce negotiator who could intimidate with a glance. He suffered through business failure along with the triumphs. But in his later years he found equipoise in pursuit of one of his longtime avocations: gardening. At his home, he and Carleen created a sanctuary that won local gardening awards and served as a peaceful refuge for family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Irene (Nowak) and Nicholas Pleszewski; his sister Judy Szukala; his brother John; and many close friends. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Carleen, a daughter, Aimee Eden, of Lexington, Ky., and son-in-law Ryan Morris.; a son, Scott Eden, of Glen Ridge, N.J., and daughter-in-law Leyla Eden; and four grandchildren, Louisa and August Morris, and Mina and Kaya Eden. Phil died in Carleen’s arms.

Private arrangements are entrusted to Burton Quinn-Scott Cremation and Funeral Services, Inc., West Ridge. A celebration of his life is scheduled for late June.