Edward was born on 6 September 1915 in Halifax, Nova Scotia to Louis and Senora Arab and was brother to Anne and Arthur. His paternal grandfather was Lebanese.

He was educated at St. Patrick’s High School followed by Dalhousie University where he studied law, graduating with a Batchelor of Arts degree in 1935. He enjoyed boxing, soccer and swimming, also debating and working on the Dalhousie Gazette – the oldest Canadian college newspaper.

On graduating, he opened his own law practice in Halifax, with an emphasis on prejudice and racism cases and was the founding member and first president of the Canadian Lebanon Society.

Edward enlisted on 7 August 1942 receiving officer training between 14 August and 13 November 1942 and was granted the rank of Lieutenant on 29 August 1943. He then moved on to camouflage, jungle and mountain warfare training ready for overseas deployment.

He arrived in the United Kingdom on 20 June 1944, joining the Lincoln and Welland Regiment in France on 15 September 1944. On 25 October 1944,

Edward became one of the many casualties of the Battle of the Scheldt while attacking enemy positions between Esschen and Huijbergen. He was wounded in the leg while leading his soldiers forward under heavy fire. After medics had treated the wound, he moved forward again but fell along with six other members of the regiment when they met stiff opposition.

Edward and the others were buried in Huijbergen, Holland and later in 1945, his body was recovered and buried in Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery, Netherlands plot 3.D.12.