Spring is coming and for this month’s Resident Feature family that means one thing: baseball! Janeen, Ed and their four boys are ready to hit the fields! Being part of our community’s sports teams brings a sense of Marple pride to the Partridge family.
Ed spent his childhood in Drexel Hill before his family moved to Newtown Square when he was in fifth grade. He attended St. Anastasia School and then graduated in 2000 from Cardinal O’Hara where he was a pitcher on the school’s baseball team for four years.
After high school, Ed furthered his education at Penn State University. What added to his college experience was joining the Fiji fraternity with a group of his friends from Cardinal O’Hara. “Going to a huge school with a group of friends from high school made my college years really special,” Ed recalled fondly.
In 2004 Ed earned a BS in Marketing and then began a career in the insurance business in sales/business development and underwriting. Over the past 20 years, he’s worked for companies such as State Farm, USLI, The Philadelphia Contributionship and NSM Insurance Group. Today, Ed works for PartnerRe, managing insurance programs and underwriting deals that come in from MGAs and Program Managers and providing them capital to support products. Ed is responsible for onboarding new clients and managing their production and profitability during their partnership. What Ed likes most about his job is meeting new people and helping to find solutions to their business needs. “Developing relationships and learning about
others is something I really enjoy,” he added.
Janeen moved from Southwest Philadelphia to Delaware County in 1992. She attended Our Lady of Fatima for grade school and later Cardinal O’Hara where she graduated in 1998. After high school Janeen studied at West Chester University and during that time she earned an Internship at Disney World.
Janeen recalled the experience fondly where she had the opportunity to live with five other young women and work at the Space Mountain ride. “It was such a unique experience and it had a lot of perks!” Janeen said.
When Janeen’s internship was finished she shifted gears and transferred to Temple University where she earned a degree in Hospitality Management. After college Janeen began working as a conference and event planner and later pivoted to a career in HR, working for Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino in its early years. She also earned a master’s degree from Villanova University in Human Resource Management. For the past 10
years Janeen has worked for the Marple Newtown School District in their HR department. As a mom of children in the district, Janeen has been able to form relationships with people in the district like principals and staff. “I’m proud each fall when we start the school year,” she said. “It’s comforting to know our schools are properly staffed with great people!”
If you’re a frequent reader of Friends & Neighbors magazines, you may have noticed that many couples we’ve featured have met in Sea Isle City, NJ. You can add Janeen and Ed to that list! Although they both graduated from Cardinal O’Hara, their paths didn’t cross in high school. In 2006, they met at a mutual friend’s home in Sea Isle. “I was actually supposed to go home that night but my girlfriends convinced me to stay down the shore,” Janeen recalled. “Had I gone home, Ed and I would have never met!”
Ed and Janeen married in 2010 in a ceremony at Our Lady of Fatima followed by a reception in Old City Philadelphia and a honeymoon in Jamaica. The couple wasn’t married long before they welcomed their first child, Eddie, in 2011. Then two years later they had three kids in diapers. “The beginning of our marriage went by really fast because we were so busy,” said Janeen. “But we have great memories.”
Now, with four boys, Eddie, twins Jax and Billy and their youngest Max, the Partridges are busier than ever. Their oldest, Eddie is an eighth grader at Paxon Hollow Middle School and is active in soccer and track and enjoys video games. His parents describe him as easy going and kind. “He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body and never gives us trouble or complains,” Ed and Janeen remarked. A driven student, Eddie would love to be
an attorney someday.
Twins Jackson (Jax) and Billy were born in 2013. Born two months early at just four and two pounds respectively, they spent a month in the NICU. “They’re both fighters and very resilient!” said Janeen. And although they are fraternal twins, everyone thinks they’re identical. “They now have different haircuts so people have an easier time telling them apart,” she added. “Before that teachers and coaches usually told them apart by
their different shoes.”
The twins’ parents said they are similar in the fact that they’re both driven and competitive. Jax is like his dad with an analytical way of thinking. He’s got a sharp sense of awareness about his surroundings. “He’s also conscientious and thinks through his words and actions,” said Janeen. “But he’s got a poker face, especially when playing sports!”
Billy is more like his mom in the sense he doesn’t think or worry about things until they are right in front of him or has to. His parents said that Billy is more likely to let his feelings be known (also like his mom). “He has matured since his eight-year-old MTLL tournament days in the sense he can hold himself together better. But, Billy has yet to meet an umpire or ref he is especially fond of,” his parents told us. Billy and Jax keep their parents busy with sports and play basketball, baseball and football.
Four-year-old Max is the youngest Partridge. Born in March of 2020, Janeen had one week of maternity leave then the world shut down during the pandemic. “He pretty much only saw our five faces for the first six months of his life,” she said. For Max, his big brothers are his world. “Max wants to do anything they do. Whether it’s playing with his brothers or cousins, he loves hanging with the boys in the basement when his brothers have friends over. He tries to fit right in,” she added. “All the kids know Max and are very nice to him.” Max loves any sporting activity and his latest favorite is flag football.
During the pandemic, Janeen and Ed said that Max provided them a lot of entertainment. ”When we look back at the time we were in quarantine, it’s funny but we actually have very special memories,” said Janeen. “We got to see Max come to life, step by step in his first few months. I think it’s had a big impact on how strong the bond each of the boys has with Max, each in a different way.”
Raising four boys can certainly take a village and Ed and Janeen are also lucky to be surrounded by their families. Ed’s dad and step-mother are just down the road in Newtown Square and his brother and his family live in Broomall. Janeen’s family lives close by in Ridley Township. “We are fortunate to have family nearby. The boys’ grandparents are a huge part of their lives,” said Janeen. “We are definitely aware of how lucky we are!”
Most days of the week, especially in the Spring, aka Baseball season, you’ll find the Partridges on a field or in a gym. Ed serves as Vice President for the Marple Township Little League (MTLL). He also coaches Jax and Billy’s baseball team as well as Max’s team and has been the tournament team coach for the rising 12-year-old team since the twins were eight. For Ed, being part of the MTLL board has been a great way to be plugged into the Marple community. “I’ve met many so many great people,” he said. “I also love coaching and seeing the kids build relationships while learning how to play baseball.” Last season, Eddie got involved in MTLL too, by helping out at the snack bars at both fields. “It’s truly a family affair,”
said Janeen.
What the Partridges love about being involved in Marple is the people they’ve met along the way. “We have met so many great people who we can consider good friends through Marple Newtown and this community,” Ed and Janeen said. “Marple Newtown is our common ground. Some of us grew up in Marple, some in Delco but some beyond. Your kids grow up together, you spend time in hotels together, you feel the pain
of losing and joys of winning together.”
Janeen said she’s really been able to lean on the women she’s become friends with through the kids whether it’s sharing memes, doing girls nights or getting advice. “Momming is hard and the people I’ve become friends with because of the community we live in, have helped me push through it. And we really know how to have fun together!”
The Partridges chose to raise their family in Marple for the sense of community and belonging that it gives them. They purchased their first home here in 2009 and then in 2019, when they found out they were pregnant with baby number four, they knew they’d need a bigger house. It was also important to keep the boys at Worrall Elementary and not having to change schools was a deciding factor.
As luck would have it, they found a For Sale By Owner home thanks to a tip from a friend and moved to the perfect neighborhood. Although, Janeen said she did need some convincing as it was a complete renovation project, top to bottom. “Ed knew it was something we could make special and our own,” she explained. Time wise, the Partridges were very fortunate. “We made settlement in November and Ed had contractors there that same day. We moved in December right before Christmas and our kitchen was finished by February. Just in time for Max to be born and before the pandemic hit.”
What’s great about the Partridge’s home is its location. Walking distance to Worrall Elementary, the high school and Rosetree Woods Swim Club, it makes life easy, especially in the summertime.
From the schools to their friends and neighbors, Ed and Janeen love the sense of community and belonging that Marple Newtown gives them. They said: “It really creates a sense of pride that makes you happy!”
Do you know a Marple family, individual or nonprofit group who should become known by our community? Make your nominations for upcoming feature articles by emailing your ideas to Holly Stupak at HStupak@BestVersionMedia.com.