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- Robert Clifton “Bob” Edwards, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, passed from death unto life at the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center on Sunday, November 6, 2022, at age 85. Bob was born on November 17, 1936, in Banner Elk, North Carolina, the middle of three sons born to Clifton and Laura Belle Edwards. He was raised in the Pinecrest Community of Johnson City and was a 1955 graduate of Elizabethton High School. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Army and was a member of the distinguished 101st Airborne Division. Following military service, Bob moved to the Kingsport area in 1958 where he started his family and resided most of his life, retiring in 1999 from Eastman Chemical Company’s Plastics Technical Service Labs.
Bob enjoyed being outdoors, especially hunting and fishing, and he also loved college football and Lady Vols basketball during the Pat Summit era. But most important to him was his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and his family and church family. He loved his wife and children, and he was especially proud of his grandchildren and two great-grandchildren and loved being a part of their activities. He was consistently one of the first to arrive and secure seats for the family for his grandsons’ football games at Sullivan South High School, and he could be depended upon to be front-and-center for his granddaughters’ volleyball and soccer games and track meets. Whether it was school sports, plays, or taking the grandkids fishing, Bob loved spending time with his family. A loyal and devoted husband; a wise and supportive Dad; and a doting and generous grandfather, we were greatly blessed to have had him in our lives.
Bob also never met a stranger. No matter where he went, he would find someone to strike up a conversation with, and in short order, would soon have a new friend. A long-time usher at Buffalo Ridge Baptist Church, Bob was a favorite of young children because he could be counted upon to always have a piece or two of candy for them each Sunday morning. A kind and generous man, he was loved by all, and was one of those people who made your life richer by just having made his acquaintance. Put simply, he loved God, and he loved people.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents Clifton Herbert and Laura Belle Edwards, and two brothers, Gordon Edwards, and James Edwards.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 48 years, Brenda Edwards; son, Robert Edwards Jr, and wife Allison; daughter Britta Milhorn and husband Jim; six grandchildren: Morgan Edwards (Mariah), Erika Seaver (Brandon), Lauren Gibson (Nathan), Jarrod Edwards (Azlinn), Braeden Gumbert (Jack), and Rylee Archer (Logan); two great granddaughters: Mackenlee and Aubrey Gibson; and several nieces and a great-nephew.
The family will receive friends from 4:00-6:00 PM on Thursday, November 10, 2022, at Buffalo Ridge Baptist Church, located at 197 Suncrest Street, Gray, TN. A memorial service led by Pastor John Herdman will follow at 6:00 PM. A committal service will be held on Friday, November 11, 2022, at 1:00 PM in the Mausoleum of Faith located at East Tennessee Cemetery 2630 Highway 75, Blountville, TN (directly across from Tri-Cities Regional Airport). Military gravesite rites will be presented by The American Legion Post 3/265.
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1936 - 1922
