Annabel Edge

1946 - 2026

On February 11, 2026, Annabel peacefully passed away following a courageous battle with Alzheimer's. She is survived by her husband, James B. Edge, Jr.; son, Samuel W. Lewis, Jr.; daughter, Tyler Lewis Perry (Schuyler); stepdaughter Laura Edge Kottkamp (Nathan); stepson J. Brannen Edge III (Melinda); six grandchildren - Elliott and Spencer Perry, Alice and Edwin Kottkamp, and James and Porter Edge; brothers George D. Morgan III (Cathleen) and Richard Morgan; nephews George D. Morgan IV (Brooke) and Richard O'Daniel Morgan (Lara Silven); other relatives; devoted friends Cabell, Donna, Ellie, Missy, and Susan; and her caregivers at The Gables at Westminster Canterbury. She was predeceased by her parents, George D. Morgan, Jr., and Sarah S. Morgan.

Annabel was born on February 18, 1946, in Boston, Massachusetts, where her father was stationed during World War II. The family later returned to Richmond, where she attended St. Catherine's School, excelling academically, athletically, and as a student leader. She was the apple of her father's eye, a beloved travel companion to her mother, and the peacemaker among her two spirited brothers. Annabel loved recounting family trips - many of which sounded like scenes from a sitcom - and left everyone laughing with her storytelling. In addition to her athletic accomplishments, she was named June Queen at St. Catherine's, an honor selected by students and faculty alike.

A gifted multi-sport athlete, Annabel enjoyed golf, tennis, riding, field hockey, lacrosse, basketball, and especially swimming, where she held both national and international records. She became the first female member of the YMCA in Richmond, which at the time housed the city's only long indoor pool. After retiring from competitive swimming, she stayed out of the water until her grandchildren insisted that she join them. In 2024, she was inducted into the St. Catherine's Athletic Hall of Fame.

Always charting her own course, Annabel attended Connecticut College, where she majored in biochemistry and minored in art history, while playing field hockey and lacrosse. There she met the first love of her life, Samuel W. Lewis, who was earning his M.B.A. at Harvard. After graduation, she pursued graduate studies at Columbia University. Annabel married Sam in 1969 and lived in Connecticut until 1984, where she worked as a physical therapist, taught at Quinnipiac University, and started their family.

The family later returned to Richmond so Sam could run her family's business, Morgan Brothers Bag Company, and Annabel earned her Master's in Physical Therapy from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1988. She joined the VCU faculty as an Assistant Professor and taught until her retirement in 2002. Throughout her professional life, she brought patience, grace, and determination to helping her patients and students reach their goals.

Annabel was a devoted mother who fiercely loved and advocated for her children, balancing a demanding career with deep involvement in their lives. She showed up - loudly and joyfully - from sidelines to classrooms, instilling confidence and a profound belief that they could achieve anything they pursued, no matter how divergent their paths were. She passed along her love of travel and her commitment to healthy living, famously handing out colored pencils on Halloween until a peaceful protest reset some social norms. She continued to love sports, playing golf and tennis, often with Sam and her father at the Country Club of Virginia. Together with Sam, she built a joyful family life for Bo and Ty, filled with laughter and their beloved, huge, absurdly named dogs, Pepper and Pepper II.

Following Sam's sudden death in 1998, Annabel found love again with James B. Edge, Jr., whom she married in 2000. They felt deeply fortunate to have found each other and shared more than twenty-seven wonderful years together. Annabel and Jim traveled widely, exploring countries on every continent except Antarctica, which she deemed far too cold. Their travels fueled her love of Asian art, leading her to build a thoughtful collection of Chinese furniture and Japanese woodblock prints.

In retirement, Annabel fully embraced her passions. She and Jim enjoyed golf both locally and around the country. She became a master gardener and delighted in ambitious yet relatively dangerous yard projects with Jim in their extraordinary garden. She also rekindled her love of art, serving as a docent at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, where she spent hours preparing for new exhibitions and became one of their most-requested guides. Whether traveling, dining with friends, or occasionally dancing on tables, Annabel embraced life with openness and joy. She invested deeply in friendships, a devotion returned many times over, especially during her illness. This was a source of immense gratitude for her family.

Annabel's competitive drive was balanced by a thoughtful nature and irreverent spirit. Her vibrant fashion sense matched her colorful vocabulary, particularly on the golf course or behind the wheel. During her driving years, she managed to back into two garage doors and accumulated enough speeding tickets that Jim once had to call in a favor to preserve her license - stories she shared with a laugh.

Cooking and gathering friends were central to Annabel's expression of love. A skilled gourmet cook and member of the Richmond Culinary Guild, she delighted in hosting dinners and delivering her legendary soups in her trademark recycled Christmas gift bags.

For the past two decades, Annabel's greatest joy was her grandchildren. Known as Pink Grandma or Pinky G to the Perry boys, Granny to the Edge children, and Grandmommy to the Kottkamp crew, she was their fiercest champion and advocate. She invited them into her worlds - museums, gardens, and holiday traditions - and proudly attended school plays, grandparent days, and sporting events across Richmond, Brooklyn, Bedford Hills, and Charlotte. They treasured her encouragement, curiosity, playful style, and unwavering love. And that colorful vocabulary.

Service was a quiet constant throughout Annabel's life. Wherever she volunteered, she gave generously without seeking recognition. Her leadership and compassionate mindset guided her service as Chair of the Board of Governors at St. Catherine's School, Deacon at First Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Chair of the docent committee at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, co-chair of Fine Arts and Flowers, President of the IVNA Visiting Nurses Association, and committee member at the Country Club of Virginia. Despite her many accomplishments, she remained modest and gentle at heart.

Interment at Hollywood Cemetery will be private. A memorial service and reception will be held at Westminster Canterbury on March 5 at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Annabel M. Edge Scholarship Fund at St. Catherine's School (6001 Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226); the Annabel M. Edge Endowment Fund at Westminster Canterbury (1600 Westbrook Avenue, Richmond, VA 23227); the Annabel M. Edge Asian Garden Fund at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (1800 Lakeside Avenue, Richmond, VA 23228); or to a charity of your choice.