Edith Irene Langston

Edith Irene Langston—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and servant of God—died at the age of 91 on the evening of Saturday, December 16, 2023. She passed away peacefully in hospice care, surrounded by her family.

Edith was born on January 5th, 1932, in New York City to Stephen and Katherine Bulan. The youngest of five siblings, she was raised in Flushing, Long Island, where she met the boy who would one day become her husband. She attended Newtown High School in Queens, completing courses in bookkeeping and accounting, and graduating with merit in 1950. After high school, she put her financial skills to good use at the Reynolds Metals Company in Manhattan, while she enjoyed her many other creative pursuits.

Edith was a talented figure skater, performing briefly with the Ice Capades in New York City and often taking her young nieces skating at Flushing Meadows Park. She was an accomplished equestrian, participating in various English-saddle exhibitions. She took vocal lessons at the Julliard School of Music, honing a powerful soprano that she would dedicate to the glory of God as a lifelong chorister for the Episcopal Church.

Edith was reunited with Thomas Langston, now an officer in the United States Navy, kindling a romance that spanned a continent, prompting him to drive from California to New York multiple times just to see his soon-to-be bride. They wed on April 5th, 1964, beginning a marriage that would last 44 years and forging a bond that would inspire their sons and serve as a template for them to emulate. In one of many poems he dedicated to Edith, Tom wrote, “Blessed wife – my love, my love; how do we find in each other’s ways the words which make our souls impart the feelings we know in each other’s heart….”

Edith spent the early years of their marriage travelling the world, joining Tom in numerous ports of call, including the Philippines, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. She immersed herself in the art, music, and culture of each country she visited, returning to the United States in 1968 with many handcrafted artifacts and mementos of their travels. Shortly thereafter, she became a mother, a role to which she dedicated herself completely and that she fulfilled with remarkable strength and unfailing grace.

Edith’s dedication to her husband and her children was equaled only by her dedication to God, whom she honored through psalm and song; her unwavering voice carried the hymns of the Episcopal Church to the rafters and to the heavens. Although she was unable to join her beloved choir in recent years, her voice and her faith never diminished. She was a beacon, whose light guided her sons’ paths and brightened the lives of all who knew her.

Edith is survived by her sons, Christopher and Scott, whom she raised with patience, humor, and a wellspring of love that nourished them throughout their lives and sustains them still; by her daughters-in-law, Ash-Leigh and Leslie, whom she cherished as though they were her own; by her five grandsons, Owen, Connor, Michael, David, and Phillip, whom she doted on and from whom she drew immeasurable joy; and by her many “adopted” children and grandchildren, whom she considered family.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the American Cancer Society, or the Down Syndrome Association of Memphis & the Mid-South.

A gathering of family and friends will take place on Friday, January 12, 2024 from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM followed by a memorial service at 1:00 PM at Church of the Holy Communion, 4645 Walnut Grove Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38117.

The event will be live-streamed at: https://vimeo.com/event/3994913