EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Ed Croke, the Giants' former Director of Public Relations who was a member of the organization for almost 30 years, passed away Wednesday morning at his home in Jupiter, Fla. He was 86.

Croke joined the Giants in 1965 as the team's Director of Promotions. In 1972, he was named director of public relations, a position he held until his retirement in 1993.

Prior to joining the Giants, Croke was a police reporter and feature news columnist with the Herald Statesman in Yonkers for three years, and sports editor and columnist for the Reporter Dispatch in White Plains for six years.

Croke was born on Jan. 3, 1932, in North Tarrytown, N.Y. He earned all-league honors in football, basketball and baseball at North Tarrytown High School. Croke attended Iona College on a basketball scholarship and lettered for three seasons. He was also a three-year letterman as a pitcher on the baseball team, earning All-Met honors in his senior season.

Croke pitched briefly in the North Atlantic League before entering the U.S. Army during the Korean War, where he served in the Signal Corps for two years.

Croke and his wife, Ilonka, were together for 35 years and married for the last 15. He is survived by five of his six children (Karen, Colleen, Gary, Lauren and Kevin), and numerous grandchildren. His daughter Brenda passed away in 2008.

Following are arrangements:

Wake: Sunday, June 24:

5:00 - 8:00 PM

Aycock-Riverside Funeral Home

1112 Military Trail

Jupiter, FL

Funeral Service - Monday, June 25:

10:00 AM

Saint Paul of the Cross Church

10970 Jack Nicklaus Drive

Palm Beach, FL

Burial at a date and time to be determined:

Prospect Hill Cemetary

Thomas Street

Caldwell,NJ