Edward James Mendes Jr.

Beloved son, brother, and uncle. Survived by his parents, Edward Sr. and Rebecca Linton Mendes of Ceres, CA; his brother Thomas and sister-in-law Hope Mendes of Cool, CA; and his nephew and niece, Everett Bertolino and Emiline Mendes.

Born and raised in Ceres, Eddie spent his life helping on the family farm. He graduated from Ceres High School (Class of 1997) and earned his Bachelor’s in Photography from Sacramento State in 2005.

For over 20 years, Eddie was a celebrated fine art and nature photographer and owner of Edward Mendes Photography. His work took him around the world, with exhibitions in New York, Copenhagen, and Tokyo, yet he often said, “You make the finest images in the places you know best—and for me, that’s home.” His photographs appear in public and private collections, including Kaiser Permanente, Andrews Air Force Base, and Hasselblad. He was named Photographer of the Year by Exposure International (2004–2005) and honored by Hasselblad as one of the world’s top landscape photographers (2008–2009).

Eddie was also a respected instructor, writer, and speaker, published by Manfrotto’s School of Xcellence and featured in Shutterbug and Outdoor Photographer, among others and was President of The Photo Collective Club, Modesto.

He loved cooking, woodworking, and songwriting, and treasured time with his niece, nephew, and extended family. A devoted Christian, he was a member of the former First Baptist Church of Modesto.

Most recently, Eddie worked as a Medical Driver for Covenant Living of Turlock, sharing his warmth and stories with its residents.