Kelli Lyn Edge

On February 7, 1964, some British pop band called The Beatles landed at JFK airport in New York City and, thus, stole the spotlight from its rightful subject more than 1,600 miles due southwest. There, in Houston, Texas, a bundle of brown-eyed joy was born with her tiny hands wrapped tightly around a karaoke mic (probably), ready to make her own American debut and world premiere.

And so began Kelli Lyn Edge‘s beautifully strange trip down the long and winding road.

Kelli grew up a good Catholic tomboy on the southwest side of Houston, daughter to Patsy Manuel and Dave Edge. By day, Kelli rode dirt bikes like a boss, blasted Heart and Zeppelin on the hi-fi, and beat up bigger kids who bullied her little brother. She’d then often climb out through her brother’s window late at night, borrow her mom’s car (with neither her mother’s approval nor a license to drive), and sneak off to a friend’s house. Or a Rush concert. School boys, naturally, fell hard for her.

Her education included stints at West University Elementary School, Pershing Middle School and, eventually, Alief-Hastings High School. And then, well, Kelli’d had enough of school. A couple years after she’d had her oldest daughter, Lynse, in 1982, Kelli took her first-born and ventured west to Phoenix, Arizona, where she began working as a legal secretary for some of the biggest law firms in the state.

Of course, doing so bored her, as just about any straight, 9-to-5 gig later would. Kelli still daydreamed, as she had in her adolescence, of being a Grammy-winning performer. And a world-famous painter and muralist. And the first woman to win the Indy 500. Never mind that she had no classical training in any of those disciplines. Kelli never doubted her ability to do absolutely anything, and so she always, confidently, chased what she wanted; though, endearingly, whatever occupation she chose to pursue changed with the seasons.

Kelli later moved to the small town of Kingman, Arizona, and then the much bigger city of Las Vegas, Nevada, eventually raising two strong, independent daughters as a single mom. To Lynse and Alana, Kelli was the same selfless “mama bear” to them as she had been for her entire family as a young girl growing up in Houston. No matter the challenges, she always ensured that the girls were taken care of and safe, by any means necessary. “You’re not gonna mess with my family,” Kelli proclaimed so very often, “or anyone that I love.”

She taught her girls to always ask questions and be assertive. She emphasized the importance of challenging authority, of being curious and skeptical, but respectfully so. Most importantly, Kelli taught the kids fierce loyalty and duty to their family, even through the most difficult chapters of her life.

Kelli learned to cook for her daughters from her Mema and mom; salmon patties, any number of mouth-watering (and carb-heavy) casseroles, and her own homemade bolognese sauce were just a few of her specialties. The kids could taste her artistry, creativity, and vibrancy in the food she cooked.

And when her kids began having their own children, not long after she returned to Houston for the seventh or eighth musical set of her life, Kelli finally mastered a role: grandmother. “Nonni” or “Bondi,” as her three grandchildren lovingly called her, lived and dreamed like a little kid when she was with them, seeming to live vicariously through Antonella, Weston and Levi. The free spirit many of her lifelong friends and family first knew when Kelli was a child herself was again so alive.

The last several years, she ran two modestly successful, home-based independent businesses – Broken Halo Trading and Aquarius Lair – that finally enabled her to never again work in an office. Kelli loved to repurpose antique furniture and upcycle fashion, the core services that she provided. But it was the freedom and autonomy – the options – she gained by working for herself that really gave her inner peace. Mentally and spiritually, this is who she was before she became sick earlier this summer. Though Kelli’s life ended much too soon, her family and loved ones are grateful her final years were her happiest.

Kelli died in her hometown on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, at Sugar Land Methodist Hospital. She had been fighting Covid for several weeks before she passed peacefully and comfortably, surrounded by people who loved her. Kelli was just 57 years old.

Preceding her were her mother, father, and beloved grandparents, Al and Madeline Manuel; her great-grandmother, Grace Giuffre; her great-aunt, Tina Biles; and great-uncles, Louis Biles and Sam Giuffre. Kelli is survived by her proud and grateful brother, Joe Watson, of Tucson; her amazing daughters, Lynse Candy and Alana Esquerra, both of Houston; her grandchildren, Antonella, Weston and Levi; her niece, Chloe; her devoted beau, Jonathan Briggs; and far too many cousins to name here.

And now, somewhere up in the blue, Kelli’s makin’ moves to, once more, bring her family and friends together so we can all sing a little Prince and Elton in her honor and smile ’til our jaws hurt. One last karaoke party, where we can revel in Kelli’s memory and dance her into Eternity. Laughing like children, rolling like thunder, like it’s 1999.

The family has created a memorial webpage for Kelli, you may visit that site at: https://kellilynedge.com

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.forestparkwestheimer.com for the EDGE family.