Vern Allan Edwards

Born December 26, 1926, in Oakland, California, he was the son of the late Seren “Si” and Ruth (Ebinger) Edwards.

Following in the footsteps of his two older brothers Donald and William, he achieved Eagle Scout rank and later went on to be a Scout Master of a Troop in Lompoc, California. His family was active in camping, including five consecutive summers pack-tripping in the Sierra Nevada during his youth from the ages of nine to thirteen.

Vern served his country in the Navy in the latter stages of World War II, from December of 1944 to August of 1946. He was honorably discharged as an Electronics Technician Mate, 2nd Class.

A graduate of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech Class of ‘50), he retired after a career as a registered Civil Engineer and Mechanical Engineer, the last part of which was in his own practice as a Consulting Engineer for small manufacturing businesses. He was especially proud of his long-term business collaboration and friendship with Brian O’Neill, owner of Dy-Dee Diaper Service, in Pasadena.

He was a member of San Gabriel Community Church in San Gabriel where he served with his wife Ruth in the choir, as teachers in children's Sunday School, and as leaders in the Wednesday evening children's Awana program.

He was a member of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, serving on various committees, including as a “White Suiter” on the parade route, before retiring as a Life Honorary Member after thirty-one years.

He volunteered for twenty-five years with the Thru-the-Bible radio ministry of J. Vernon McGee, helping in the space layout (management) of all the mailing material in the warehouse as well as maintaining the physical inventory on his personal computer for the annual inventory.

He also volunteered for thirty years as a computer programmer for Ralph D Winter's US Center for World Mission in Pasadena, California, now known as the Venture Center.

Vern enjoyed bird watching, lawn bowls, gardening, playing guitar (including singing “"Las Mañanitas" in Spanish together with Ruth for his step-kids’ birthdays), mentoring his step kids and step grandkids, cooking, eating healthy, and he played a mean game of billiards. After retirement and moving to Atherton Baptist homes with Ruth, he kept busy by creating updated floor plans to scale for the hundreds of dwellings there for the marketing department to use.

Mr. Edwards is survived by his wife, Ruth Edwards, his two daughters, Jeannie Edwards of West Virginia, and Amy Edwards of Pasadena. He is also survived by his step-children, Luis (and Egla) Granados of New Jersey and Eida (and Steve) Irwin of Florida, and his step-grandchildren, Ian (and Lindsey) Granados, Davy Granados, Art Irwin, Esther (and Curtis) Bergman, and their children, and his niece Sunny Nunes, and great-niece Dorcy Hansken, among other great-nieces and great-nephews.

There will be a celebration of life Memorial Service at San Gabriel Community Church, located at 117 N. Pine St., San Gabriel, CA 91775, on Saturday, March 2 at 11:00am, with fellowship lunch to follow. Vern will be buried with Military Honors at Riverside National Cemetery on Monday, March 4, 2024, at 11:30 AM. Please contact the family if you wish to attend the burial. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to San Gabriel Community Church.

Tribute by Eida Irwin

Dad,

Your passing was so sudden, so unexpected. We all thought we’d have you in our lives for longer! In my heart is a combination of grief at our loss, coupled with joy that you accepted Jesus as your Savior, because that gives me the assurance that you are with Jesus.

What a gifted man you were! God gave you many skills and talents that you were diligent to use for the good of others. Your engineer’s mind kept you always looking for projects and ways to improve on many things!

You entered our lives and instantly became a blessing to all of us. Over the years you knocked down your own barriers with the help of the Lord and learned to return our hugs and to say, “I love you.”

Our last conversation with you before your surgery was brief. When we told you we loved you, you responded, “I love you, too…but do I really even know what that means?”

Yes, Dad, you showed us love with your actions, helping our family in many ways over the years, caring enough to offer advice, and by faithfully taking care of Mom for so many years in a self-sacrificing way. Even if at the end you doubted that you really understood the true meaning of love, I saw that you loved us, and I know that now that you are in the presence of God, the Author of Love, you are experiencing perfect love in all its fullness.