Ben E. Edwards III

Ben E. Edwards III, 87, of Boone, NC, irrepressible inventor and tinkerer, problem-solver, creative spirit, kind and unconditionally loving soul died peacefully May 30, 2023, after fighting Hodgkin's lymphoma for over five years.

Ben was born in San Rafael, CA, October 14, 1935, to Ben E. Edwards, Jr. and Eugenia Cunningham Edwards (Hirtle), and grew up mostly in San Antonio, TX. When he was 14, his father was killed in a military plane crash, so Ben III grew up fast. He earned enough money delivering newspapers to buy his first car in high school. After graduating high school, he drove solo from TX to Boston to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received a degree in Chemistry and moved with his first wife (m. 1957), Marion Malvey (deceased), to complete a PhD in Biochemistry at University of Indiana, Bloomington. He worked in research labs in New York City, San Antonio, and Chicago, then moved with his second wife, Sandra Schneider Klassen (m. 1965), to North Carolina. He also served as faculty at UNC Greensboro and Appalachian State. Ben worked in concrete chemistry for over 50 years in Lenoir and Boone, and lived with his wife Shirlee (m. 1977) on a branch of the New River. His optimism and enthusiasm for learning were infectious.

Ben often called himself a "Jack of all trades, master of none", yet he accomplished so much! He built/rebuilt cars, bridges, instruments, gadgets, tools, furniture, Inkle looms, buildings, wrote national technical standards ... and did lots of chemistry. In his spare time, he appreciated all manner of artistic endeavors, intellectual debates, and working for the common good. He loved to read, play tennis, create sculptures, and was passionate about classical music; he played French horn and recorder, and sang with various choral groups. Musical instruments he built included a bowed psaltery, a lap dulcimer, and a lute. Despite always juggling more projects at once than he could possibly complete, he was compelled to speak against injustices, and volunteered in many capacities, including serving as a guardian ad litem for unrepresented youth in court. He became a Unitarian Universalist Lay Minister in the 1970s and presided over the marriage ceremonies of several of his children and grandchildren. Ben was a founding member and very active volunteer for the Middlefork Greenway. For about the last decade, Ben enjoyed playing computer SuperScrabble with his big sister in Texas. Scores in four digits were usual, and sometimes he graciously let her win.

Ben is survived and celebrated by his sister, Eugenia Edwards Schuler; his wife Shirlee Gaines Edwards; children with former wife Marion, Elizabeth Brock (Morris), Adrienne Edwards (Chris Ivey), and Ben E. Edwards IV (Betsy); children with former wife Sandra, Jon Edwards (Cheryl) and Joel Edwards; stepchildren with his wife Shirlee, Melissa Johnson, Sally Tidyman, and Gregory Gaines (Amy); 20 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. Ben was preceded in death by his parents; his stepchild with his wife Shirlee, Annalee Gaines Schulmeyer, her husband Michael, and their son Travis; and his son-in-law Ed Johnson.

Memorial service will be held 2 PM Saturday, June 17, at the Boone Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 381 E. King St, in Boone. Reception immediately following service. To honor his life through charitable giving, please consider the Middlefork Greenway (https://www.middleforkgreenway.org) of the Blue Ridge Conservancy.