John Wesley Edwards

John Wesley Edwards, 76 of Richmond, Virginia peacefully ended his two-year struggle with cancer at home in Henrico, North Carolina early Saturday morning, August 18, 2012 next to his wife of 38 years, Peggy Davis Edwards.

The third of five children born to Thomas Marvin and Maude Seal Edwards, John was born in 1936 in Richmond, Virginia. He entered the U.S. Air Force in Texas in July 1957. Following basic training, John embarked on a successful 23 year career in the service of his country, holding positions in New York, New Jersey, Thailand, Korea, and Virginia. It was while stationed in Virginia he met the love of his life, Peggy. Having met her late in his career, they embarked together to John''s two final assignments in Alaska and Virginia. It was in Alaska that they discovered their mutual love of camping and the great outdoors. Having camped nearly every weekend - even in the depths of Alaska''s cold winters - they brought this love of camping back to John''s retirement location in South Carolina and continued to enjoy it throughout his life.

Aside from camping, John''s great passion was cars - working on them, attending shows, and watching them race. To satisfy this passion, John fulfilled a lifetime dream of completing his degree in automotive technology in 1982 from John Tyler Community College in Chester, Virginia. There weren''t many cars John couldn''t repair, and having that degree showed others what John already knew - he could do anything he set his mind to with hard work and tenacity.

John continued to live his work ethic by starting a second career with the U. S. Postal Service, working for more than 20-years as a mail handler in Columbia, South Carolina. While you''d never hear him say he enjoyed his time at the Post Office, he believed in working hard to both provide for his family, and serve as an example to his son, James Wesley Edwards. James followed his father''s example by serving our nation in the U.S Air Force and completing his college education. Both accomplishments were great sources of pride for John as his love of camping and cars was only exceeded by his love for his family.

John was preceded in death by his mother and father, as well as his older brother, Fred Eugene Edwards. In addition to wife Peggy and son James, John is survived by Fred''s wife Ann Edwards of Atlanta, Georgia and their two sons; his older brother Thomas Marvin, Jr and his wife Ruth "Uchi" Edwards of Richmond, Virginia; younger brother William Roy and his wife Mary Katherine Edwards of Wilmington, North Carolina; and younger sister Ann Edwards, and her two sons, all of Richmond. Over the years, John became very close to Peggy''s family including brothers and sisters-in-law Bobby and Toni Crosby of Windsor, Virginia; Reverend Larry and Mary Sue Cribb of Branchville, Virginia; and Tommy and Charlene Davis of Midlothian, Virginia. Together, all of John''s in-laws provided him with five nieces and one nephew, six grand-nieces, one grand nephew, and one great-grand niece who were sources of great pride and love for John, particularly in his final days.

Please join family and friends from the Henrico community in a celebration of John''s life at Hockaday Funeral Home, 507 U.S. 158, Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina on Tuesday, August 21, 2012 at 11:00 am. A separate internment ceremony will be held at Forrest Lawn Cemetery, 4000 Pilots Lane, Richmond, Virginia, Friday, August 24, 2012 at 1:00 pm. Memorial donations can be made in John''s honor to the American Cancer Society.