Edward Everett Darbonne

Ed was a good man. He was what a mother of any teenaged girl would call a nice boy. For 42 years I was married to that nice boy, that good man.

Ed was born into a loving home. As a young boy, he was raised and influenced by three generations of women. His love for reading, music, and the world around him started in this home environment.

Later, Ed’s mother Carla married Bernard Darbonne. Soon Ed would share his love when two siblings, Alton then Pamela, were born. Ed became part-time babysitter helping with the care of his brother and sister. All of these events helped shape Ed into the caring father figure, intuitive friend, and thoughtful leader he would become.

Ed and I met and married in New Orleans. He had moved from Little Rock and I from New Jersey, both of us looking for new beginnings after college. Ed worked at Tulane Medical Center and the uptown campus. We loved the cultural history of New Orleans showcasing its sights, sounds, and flavors of The Big Easy. We had similar tastes in music enjoying rock storytellers that included Billie Joel and Harry Chapin. These merged with the culture of the city that also included jazz, zydeco and country; all quite diverse yet fused together to make a musical gumbo.

Ed and I made decisions together. He earned the nickname the doctor of fun in New Orleans and his love of life and people carried over with us from the South, to New England & the Midwest. We relocated from New Orleans to Massachusetts; Ed worked for BSR, a software company, and I continued as a paralegal in Boston. Music and work tied us together again as we made new lifelong friends, Mark & Leila. What a delight it was to see them last year when Maumelle served as a pit-stop on their road trip.

After Massachusetts, Ed’s professional move to the University of Illinois at the Urbana-Champaign campus allowed me to be a stay-at-home mom with the impending birth of our first child. The University of Illinois was very good to us. Ed was well-respected and worked hard for the good of the university and for his staff. It was a safe environment for us as new parents and Midwesterners.

During our life in Illinois, we re-established close relationships with Arkansas friends. Dan & Janet, Rick & Carol, Martha & Ed became three couples who would annually rotate hosting Fourth of July get-togethers.

Ed celebrated his 40th birthday in Champaign, IL with a hog barbecue! We couldn’t have anything else in lieu of not being in Razorback territory.

Ed had a remarkable way of engaging strangers in conversation. The ability to speak to individuals on a common ground was a gift. Ed could tell stories and relate to people. I recall when Ed traveled, he would tell me stories of a conversation he would have on a plane or at a restaurant. Who else could meet and easily talk to the actual Pope’s secretary? Or, get invited to a show highlighting the up-and-coming country music star Faith Hill? Ed had that gift.

Ed supported our children in their activities, schooling, and life goals. When our daughter, Amanda, was a Brownie in grammar school Ed supported her as she learned how to promote Girl Scout cookies at the U. of I., or sell women’s basketball programs at Huff Hall with him by her side. He watched over Nathaniel when my role as Girl Scout leader took me away during the weekends. Ed introduced Nathaniel to chess and piano by the time he was five; both shared their gifts and talents with each other for years to come. Ed accompanied Nathaniel’s Boy Scout troop on early camping trips earning his Arrow of Light.

Ed’s love for music and theater followed him throughout college and graduation from Ouachita Baptist University. He was involved with the Arkansas Repertory Theatre in its early days after its founding in 1976 by Cliff Baker. Decades later, Cliff Baker recognized Nathaniel at The Rep by his surname and inherited looks from Ed; like father, like son.

As a family we moved to Arkansas in 2006. Ed was employed at the non-profit EAST Initiative, then did training & consulting work. Job opportunities and arising health issues led him to early retirement. But a new world opened up for me when Ed encouraged me to walk onto the campus of UALR as a 50 year old post-baccalaureate student earning a Certificate of Completion in Digital Graphics.

In 2012, another impactful relationship began when we adopted an abandoned dog; Amanda and Nathaniel named him, Eli. Eli has an engaging yet calm personality; he was nicknamed a therapy dog. Ed took Eli on errands, as well as, on outings to the local dog park. Ed made connections with other dog owners that quickly developed into friendships with weekly get-togethers for coffee and catch-up. Ed greatly appreciated Penn and Tim for their continued weekly home coffee visits after his amputation.

Ed always watched over his family and offered guidance and wisdom. He showed us how to succeed in the face of adversity and successfully move forward. The last five years were very challenging emotionally, as well as, physically. We lost our daughter Amanda, who was also diabetic, and Ed underwent an amputation. But we managed together as a family.

These snippets of Ed’s life reflect that he was a good soul. He was honorable and kind; someone who touched many lives over the decades. Ed will be sorely missed, but lovingly remembered every day by his surviving family and friends.