JOHN EDDS

EDDS--John R., a long-time Citibank executive and former Treasurer of Travelers died peacefully in his sleep on December 27, 2020 in Stuart, Florida. Karen, his wife of 39 years was by his side. He was 95. John was born in Newark, NJ in 1925, the oldest son of Cornelia (Doherty) and John Edds. Following a three-year tour in the Navy during World War II, John graduated from NYU and Cornell Law School - both courtesy of the G.I. Bill. From Law School John pursued a 40-year career in Finance, first with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, followed by senior positions at The First National City Bank (now Citibank), Primerica and Travelers Insurance. His career included management positions in South America, Canada and Northern Europe, and during Wall Street's tumultuous 1970's, he worked tirelessly with many investment banks dealing with mergers and market challenges. He joined Primerica as Treasurer in 1989, which became Travelers Companies in 1993 and merged with Citibank in 1998. John once told a reporter "I'm probably a bit different from the average Treasurer. My background is in law rather than finance, so I look at things a little differently. I try to find the abstract thread - the logic of things that is inevitably there - even in business." John was a voracious reader, avid traveler, and lover of the arts, particularly opera, theatre and dance. He enjoyed good food and wine, good company, and good conversation - a charming raconteur who could make a three-hour conversation seem like a fifteen-minute chat. In addition to Karen, John leaves the family he loved so much: daughters Judith Leaf, Deborah Bang and Kathryn Blackburn; their husbands Charles Bang and Robert Blackburn; seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Speaking for the family and for the many people whose lives he changed, Karen said, "He will be missed, but we will always love him, and he will always be here with us."