Jean Edwards

Jean Edwards of Littleton, Colorado passed away peacefully at the age of 79 on November 15th, 2020, surrounded by her children. Jean was born in a town in Taiwan where her mother was a beloved healer, a tradition of caring for others that ultimately became central to Jean’s own life. While devoted to her mother and siblings, she was a strong, independent adventurer at heart and married a serviceman in the Air Force in 1966. Shortly after her eldest son, Bernie, was born, she left Taiwan – the only home she had ever known. Two years later, her son Michael was born, after which the demands of a military life kept her building and rebuilding nurturing homes for her family in many different countries. As if she wasn’t busy enough trying to raise her two sons, she even went to beautician classes in the evening to help provide for her family. Bernie and Michael both fondly remember her cutting their hair throughout their school years, and we have photographic evidence! She decided to stop these classes when she became pregnant with her youngest child and only daughter, Nancy. This was one of many decisions she made that put her children first.

Months after Nancy’s birth, the family moved again – this time overseas to Germany. While living in Germany, she loved working in the high school cafeteria because she was able to feed others, especially her sons. It comes as no surprise to anyone who knows her to hear that her favorite job involved cooking. Indeed, everywhere she lived, the people who were lucky enough to eat her food tried to convince her to open her own restaurant. Even though she never opened that restaurant, she has baked cookies and cakes for people all over Littleton, from her favorite cashier at her local market to the mechanics who took care of her car for more than twenty years. Jean transmitted her love through her cooking, and her family routinely gathered at her dinner table to receive that love on many memorable Thanksgivings and Christmases. These were her favorite holidays because they were accompanied by a home filled with her children and grandchildren. In recent years, she passed on recipes of her favorite traditional Taiwanese dishes to her family who have already been honoring her by reproducing her dumplings and sticky rice (at least, they have been trying).

While she was devoted to her family, Jean was also an independent soul. When living in Europe, she traveled to Italy and even to Russia by herself. She never used a map when traveling, and she liked to say, “You can never get lost if you have a mouth to talk to people and ask for directions!” She struck up conversations everywhere she went including on daily morning walks. The five miles she walked every morning was not enough, however, and she also made time to chase rabbits anytime they threatened her roses. She may not have loved rabbits, but her love for others was boundless.

Jean passed away as the sun was setting but as the sun rises each morning, her family will bask in her memory forever.

Jean is survived by her two sons and their wives, Bernie and Laura Edwards and Mike Edwards and Kera Vo; her daughter and husband, Nancy Edwards and Tilak Sundaresan; and her grandchildren, Christopher, Thomas, Ella, and Emma. She loved them all deeply, and they will always celebrate her life.