Edward E. Menges Jr.

Menges, Edward E., Jr. Edward Ellwood Menges, Jr., age 96, Professor of Fine Arts at Florissant Valley Community College for 22 years from 19671986, and renowned St. Louis artist, passed away on Saturday, October 7, 2017. He is survived by his wife of more than 30 years, Jane Menges, his only child, Kristen Menges, only grandson, Christopher Menges, and former wife Mariann Menges (nee Rosenfeld. For many years, he flew his Cessna 150 as part of the Confederate Air Force at Smartt Field of St. Charles County and Creve Coeur Airport. Edward was born in St. Louis in 1921. He grew up in University City while attending Delmar Harvard Elementary School. As a boy, he enjoyed building, painting and flying model airplanes, bicycling and walking through Forest Park, and playing stick ball in the alley behind his apartment. His father was a music teacher and composer, while his mother worked as a salesgirl at a local department store in ladies ready-to-wear. Edward's first jobs to help pay his way through college included working at Maul's and A&P Grocery Store for $.25/hour. He also worked production to build .50 caliber machine gun ammunition. Edward graduated from University City High School in 1940. In high school, he was active in Strut and Fret, a theater arts program, and was active in contributing art and photography for the school newspaper. He was a member of the Tiger Battery Second Platoon, which prepared interested students to assist in the war effort after graduation. In is not surprising that Edward returned to University City after his formal education to teach Art at U. City High School. He was also an assistant to the cheerleading squad. Edward was so popular, his students remember him fondly to this day. After high school, Edward attended the University of MissouriColumbia and earned his Bachelor of Fine Art. He was an active member of the Missouri Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. After completing ROTC and graduating as a Second Lieutenant in Field Artillery, at 19, Edward proudly voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Army in June, 1942. He completed Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, after which he taught artillery trainees, then was ordered overseas active duty. AS a Second Lieutenant, he served as a Forward Artillery Unit Commander from January, 1944 to December, 1946. His duty in the American Theater included the Rhineland, Austria, Germany and other parts of Central Europe. After the conclusion of WWII he continued his service in the U.S. Army Reserves until his retirement in 1981 at the rank of Captain. After Honorable Discharge from active Army service, Edward earned his Master of Fine Arts from the State University of Iowa. After teaching art at University City High School and Washington University, Edward accepted a position as an art professor at the newly opened campus of Florissant Valley Junior College. He retired after 22 years of teaching there. With plenty of time, Edward devoted himself to painting with his favorite subjects, landscapes inspired by Forest Park and most recently paintings of football and baseball players. For the past several years (as his dementia progressed) Edward and Jane ate breakfast every morning at Lakeside at the St. Louis Zoo giving the beginning of each day a pleasant start.