David L. Edwards

1949 - 2019

David L.
Edwards
March 27, 1949-
May 1, 2019
Upatoi, GA- David L. Edwards, 70, of Upatoi, Georgia, passed away Wednesday, May 1, 2019 at Columbus Hospice.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Buddy and Elizabeth Edwards. David is survived by his wife Debbie Hoover Edwards; children, Tanya Edwards Jones (Tom), Ryan Edwards (Tasha), James Ryan Haywood (Laurie); grandchildren, Ashton, Patrick, Elizabeth and Indie Edwards, Taylor Deal, Ramsey Greathouse, Gideon Jones, Eli and Olivia Haywood. He is also survived by his sister, Sue Ann Edwards Dixon (Everett); nieces and nephews, Karen Grohman (Lance), Elizabeth Scoggins (Scott), Rhett Dixon; two great nieces and three great nephews.
A 1967 graduate of Columbus High School, David graduated in 1971 from Trevecca Nazarene College, Nashville, Tennessee with a degree in biology. While there, the infamous "C" suite was formed. A group of incongruous guys that would support each other through the rest of their lives.
For more than 30 years David served as the Director of Human Resources and General Affairs for Oneda Corporation. He began with the new international manufacturing company in Columbus as they started their operation in 1988. He was responsible for creating and building a Human Resources Department.
Earlier in his career, he served a six-year stint as the Personal Manager at Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia. While there, he was recognized as the Business Person of the Year in 1981 by the State of Georgia Future Business Leaders of America.
From 1981 until 1988, David was Director of Human Resources at Phenix Medical Park Hospital.
As Past President of the Columbus Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), David was very active with SHRM on the state and national levels. In 1990, he served as the Georgia State Director, and in 1997 he earned the Certified International Human Resources designation.
David was very active with the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce. A 1991 graduate of Leadership Columbus, he served on the Employee/Employer Committee and the Labor Availability Committee. He also served as the Executive Committee for West Georgia School to Work/Youth Apprenticeship, and on the Columbus Technical Institute Foundation Board.
David created the American Cancer Society's highly successful Sporting Clay Tournament fundraiser in 1992. He is a Past President of the Board of Columbus Hospice.
He was an avid hunter and was proud of his 2006 state record from the National Wild Turkey Federation. He completed the Grand Slam turkey hunt in 2018.
David was most proud of his family, children and grandchildren. He will be remembered fondly by friends and family as a loving husband, a proud Dad and Grand Dad, expert hunter, devoted friend, captivating story teller, and a shrewd business man. He enjoyed his bourbon whiskey and loved his son-in-law's cooking.
A memorial service will be held Sunday, May 5, 2019 at 2:30 PM at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 2100 Hilton Ave., Columbus. A reception in the Parish Hall will immediately follow. Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, Columbus, is assisting the family with arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Columbus Hospice, 7020 Moon Road, Columbus, 31909 or the American Cancer Society in memory of David Edwards.
To sign the online guest registry or to share a fond memory, please visit www.shcolumbus.com.