Edwin Marten Kiser

EDWIN MARTEN KISER OBITUARY

Clermont, Fl- Mr. Edwin Marten Kiser, 90 passed away peacefully in his sleep January 15, 2026. He was in his home with family.

He is the Son of the late Roger Clinton Kiser and Gertrude Margaret Bedell-Kiser, and was Born in Star, NC April 21, 1935, he grew up in Laurinburg, NC with his parents and sister, the late Dorothy May Kiser (Crutchfield).

Mr. Kiser was a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill having received his bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1957 and a master’s degree in Higher Education in 1958. He went on to teach mathematics at Myers Park High School for 6 years.
He went on to work as a programmer of UNC Chapel Hill with US Air Force on a project called World War Three Simulator.

In 1966 he joined IBM as a computer programmer at Research Triangle Park in NC for 9 years. After transferring to Boca Raton, Florida, he continued to work for another 16 years and retired in 1991. While at IBM, He was instrumental in helping to write the D.O.S. computer Basic language while at IBM.

The computer game, ‘Imperial Space Command (ISC)’, although originated by another coworker, was developed by Mr. Kiser in BASIC on the IBM 5100 and ported to BASIC on the TRS-80 and later he redesigned and wrote it in Structured BASIC for the IBM PC. This game became a wonderful pastime for him and his family throughout the years.

After retirement, Mr. and Mrs. Kiser moved to Cynthiana KY until a few years after the passing of his wife, and then moved to Clermont, Fl. with the care of his youngest daughter where he spent his remaining days.

During his retirement, Mr. Kiser taught Adult Education in evening school for several years on computer related topics.
Mr. Kiser enjoyed teaching, radio broadcasting, violin and organ playing, games with his family and family outings..

He was a member of the Methodist Church in Coral Springs, FL for many years serving as a Lay Reader under Roger Watts, Pastor and while in Cynthiana, KY was a member and layman of First Methodist Church in Cynthiana, KY under Paster Ted Beam.

Mr. Kiser was preceded in death by his parents, Roger & Gertrude Kiser, wife, India Elizabeth Seagrave, his sister, Dorothy M. Kiser- Crutchfield, and two nieces.
Mr. Kiser and his wife have to four children, Elizabeth Yancy (Dean Raper), Margaret Ligon (Sam Polito), M. M., & Mary Gertrude (Charles Landsberg).
Edwin M. Kiser is grandfather to seven grandchildren, & five great grandchildren.
Burial services will be held at Friendship Baptist Church in Germanton, NC where he will be laid to rest alongside his wife in a family plot.
--------------------------------------

Edwin Marten Kiser Legacy

April 21, 1935 – January 15, 2026

Edwin Marten Kiser, a devoted husband, father, and pioneering architect of the computer age, passed away on January 15, 2026. He was 90 years old.

A Foundation of Faith and Hard Work Born on April 21, 1935, Ed was raised in the Baptist faith on a tobacco farm in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Working the fields alongside his parents, Roger Clinton Kiser and Gertrude Margaret Bedell Kiser, and his older sister, Dorothy May Kiser-Crutchfield, he forged the ironclad work ethic, integrity, and honesty that would define his life.

A Life of Devotion In 1960, Ed entered into a sacred covenant of marriage with India Elizabeth Seagrave. For 59 years and 21 days, he lived a life of unwavering commitment, honoring his vows through every season of health and sickness. Together, they raised what Ed proudly called his “four beautiful girls.” As he often joked, after four tries for a boy, they decided they’d done a pretty good job with the girls and settled in to raise them with love and laughter. He was, above all else, a devoted husband and a loving father.

The Mind of a Mathematician A lifelong learner, Ed graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 1957, followed by a Master’s degree in Higher Education in 1958. He shared his passion for logic and numbers as a teacher at Myers Park High School for six years before entering the burgeoning world of computer science. His early work included serving as a programmer at UNC for a U.S. Air Force project known as the "World War Three Simulator."

A Giant of the IBM Era In 1966, Ed joined IBM at Research Triangle Park, NC, later moving to Boca Raton, Florida, where he dedicated 25 years to the company. It was here that Ed became a "tough nut to crack" for a young Bill Gates. During the high-stakes negotiations for the original IBM PC, Ed served as a technical gatekeeper and the conscience of quality. He famously pushed back against Microsoft’s early software flaws, forcing the standards that would make the PC a global success.

On November 6, 1980, Ed was one of the two men who delivered the final contracts to Seattle. In a moment of quiet history, he lent Bill Gates his own pen to sign the agreement that changed the world. Ed’s technical fingerprints remain on the foundation of every modern computer through his work on the DOS MODE command and the development of the "Tree" directory logic.

A Creative Spirit Ed was also a gifted creator. He famously redesigned and wrote the code for the strategy game Imperial Space Command (ISC). From its origins on the IBM 5100 to its final version on the IBM PC, the game became a cherished pastime for his family and a symbol of his ability to master the "guts" of any machine.

Legacy Edwin Marten Kiser leaves behind a world that runs on the code he helped perfect and a family that flourishes because of the love he planted. He was a man who stood his ground, kept his word, and loved his family with all he had.

He has now returned to the God he loved, leaving us with a legacy of integrity that no amount of time can erase.