Andrew "Ace" C. Edwards

Andrew “Ace” Edwards, 32, was lifted into the arms of the Lord on Thursday, May 11, 2023. We know he is making new friends! Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 11:00 am at Ankeny Funeral Home, 1510 W. 1st St in Ankeny with visitation from 9:30 am until the time of service at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Lincoln Township Cemetery, near Alleman, Iowa.

Andrew was born October 22, 1990, at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, to Shawn and Stephanie Edwards. He was dubbed “Ace” before he even left the hospital, by our good friend and umpire, Eric Cooper. An unintentional but fitting nickname. Ace attended Ankeny schools through 9th grade. His great love of hockey took him in different directions from there. He spent time in Kansas City, KS and Kalamazoo, MI, where he graduated from Portage Central High School. From there he went on to play juniors in the Boston area with the Bay State Breakers. He stayed to play in college for Salem State. Ace knew at age 12 that he loved Boston. His favorite Christmas present ever was a family trip with tickets to a Boston College vs Boston University Hockey game. We were lucky he ever came back to Ankeny.

Ace was happiest when he was with a team. That all started with his Blazer’s baseball team and Des Moines Jr. Bucs hockey. In his work life, he found his teams at the Post Office in Johnston, the National Guard, his neighbors at the “VTP” and recently in Minneapolis at Fed Ex and his community at The Nic on Fifth. His fitness friends were near and dear to him. In Ankeny, it was the Farrell’s family and in Minneapolis, it was his Lifetime Fitness crew at Target Field.

If he wasn’t playing or watching various sports, he was loving on his dog, Spike, watching or reading anything true crime and watching dirt track racing. He loved the vibe of his new city and pounded a lot of pavement downtown just like he did at Grey’s Lake in Des Moines.

Most of all he loved his family. Small and mighty we are! Survivors include his parents, Shawn and Stephanie Edwards, and his brother, Joseph, all of Ankeny. His maternal grandma, Jean Allen of Spirit Lake; aunts and uncles, Larry and Diane Leigh of Johnston and Scott and Nancy Shierk of Kansas City, KS; cousins Marcus and David and their families. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Lois and Gerry Edwards; aunt, Marietta Dye and nephew, Eli.

The family has donated his brain to the Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center at Boston University. In memory of Ace, memorials may be directed to the Animal Rescue League in Des Moines, On With Life in Ankeny or a Mental Health program of your choice.

Hold on to your Faith. It may not look like there is a way, but God has a way.