RESERVE, LOUISIANA –DSC Dredge, LLC is saddened to announce that James Edward Cicardo (aka “Eddie”) passed away on March 31^st 2021. He leaves behind his wife Marilyn Cicardo, two daughters, Amiee and Stacey, and four beloved grandchildren.  A proud military veteran and former stakeholder of DSC Dredge, Eddie was a long-time friend and business partner to the Wetta family.  Bill and Bob Wetta, brothers and co-owners of DSC Dredge said, “It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our lifelong family friend and colleague. He will be truly missed.”

At the age of eighteen, Eddie started his career in the industry as a helper at TL James and Company where he taught himself how to weld. From TL James he went on to work with Kenner Marine where he oversaw the electrical shop and was a shareholder in both Kenner Marine and a smaller sand and gravel business in Mississippi called Quality Sand and Gravel. He was also co-owner of Best Equipment Technologies, a current subsidiary of DSC Dredge.

The Wetta brothers noted that their memories of Eddie go all the way back to birth and stated that his tireless contributions unquestionably contributed to DSC’s current day growth and success.

Memories…gone but never forgotten

Bill and Bob Wetta paid tribute to the commemoration of Eddie by sharing several memories and humorous antidotes that will remain cherished amongst those that knew him best.

“Eddie’s determination to “never give up or give in” was paralleled only by his commitment to success. There was never a challenge that Eddie could not overcome, and he would always tell me “there is always a solution”. Notwithstanding his dedication and commitment to his work, he was also known for his lighter side as a jokester” shared Bill Wetta.

One of Bill’s fondest memories was of Eddie’s infamous rubber roaches. “Eddie would always carry around a bag of rubber roaches and place them everywhere just to scare people.”  In addition to the many personal antidotes shared, DSC team members and clients alike remember him for his notorious pen that could write “under water.” Bob shared, “Eddie would tell clients that DSC had pens that could write “under water” and when they challenged him to prove it, he would pull out a standard “DSC” pen, and write the words “under water” on a sheet of paper.  It sounds silly but it never failed to get a laugh out of even the sternest dredge operator.”

Both brothers noted that Eddie loved to entertain and have fun outside of work whether it was cooking for everyone at Kenner Marine’s huge crawfish boils or simply working with their dad restoring antique automobiles together.

“I learned a lot about electrical from Eddie and to never give up because there was always a solution. Eddie had a very giving heart, and he would teach anyone who was willing to learn. He believed that every person should be given every opportunity to succeed”, stated Bill.

One local person’s impact on a global company’s professional growth

In the early days at Kenner Marine, Eddie was heavily involved in both the electrical and mechanical sides of the business and played a critical role in DSC’s eventual focus on electric dredges. Bill recalls the success of one particular environmental job at ENSR Engineers, in Crosby Texas, that was very complicated. “At the time there were no dredges available to do the type of job the company wanted. It called for four (4) swinging ladder dredges, two (2) pump barges and a workboat. The job involved churning up the bottom and putting it back into suspension, so Eddie and I decided to build a pump and this is how four (4) dredge pumps came about. While I focused on designing it, Eddie built the entire pump by himself out of steel wear resistance plates.”

Later in his career, Eddie became a frequent international traveler as part of DSC’s Product Support team working on site with customers ranging from Abu Dhabi, Columbia, Bolivia, Mexico to Honduras.  He had the honor of commissioning DSC’s first export PLC Moray Class dredge in Madagascar, Africa.

Bob characterizes Eddie as an originator, “In the perfect life, I believe he would have been an inventor and had he pursued this, I’m confident there would be multiple items in use today all over the world.  He was always trying to understand how and why things worked.  He was very mechanically focused.  That same curiosity lent to great professional discoveries.  He was passionate about teaching people how to maximize the performance of a dredge. He was the definition of a very hard worker.”

Eddie was a dedicated person, not only to DSC but also to his family and everyone that knew him. He will be greatly missed, but we find comfort in the knowledge that just like DSC, the world is a better place because of Eddie’s legacy.

At DSC, we help customers make THE RIGHT CHOICE. DSC designs and manufactures high quality, durable cutter suction and underwater pump mining dredges. Quality, Innovation, Service, Commitment and Customization are key DSC attributes which explain the reasons customers choose to work with DSC. DSC Dredge operates from three manufacturing facilities located in Reserve, LA, Poplarville, MS, and Greenbush, MI. For more information about the company and its products, services and customized solutions, please visit www.dscdredge.com and follow us on Social Media.