Edward J. McDonough, who was the chief civilian purchasing agent at Edgewood Arsenal before his retirement in 1970, died Tuesday of cancer at Good Samaritan Hospital. He was 82 and lived in the Glenmont Apartments on Donachie Road.

A Mass of Christian burial for Mr. McDonough was being offered today at St. Ursula's Roman Catholic Church, 8801 Harford Road.

He retired after 30 years at the Army post, where he also was a member of the board and secretary of the Materiel Command Federal Credit Union.

From 1933 to 1975, the Baltimore native was secretary of the Ozark Permanent Building and Loan Association in East Baltimore.

Diagnosed as having retinitis pigmentosa at the age of 16 and nearly blind at the time of his death, he donated his eyes to Johns Hopkins Hospital for research.

He is survived by his wife, the former Thelma C. Lewis; a son, E. Patrick McDonough of Baltimore; a daughter, R. Kathleen Perini of Hagerstown; two sisters, Rita A. McDonough of Parkville and Mary Margaret Stach of Baltimore; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.