Obituary for James Eugene Edwards
James Eugene Edwards, 92, of Burnt Hills, NY, passed away peacefully in Acton, MA, on October 19, 2022.
Jim was born on January 19, 1930, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Frank Randolph Edwards and Mildred Grether Edwards. A graduate of Riverside High School, he earned his bachelor of science in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 1952. After serving in Alaska with the U.S. Army, he returned to UW to complete a master’s in mathematics.
Jim met the love of his life, Nancy Julia Tegger, during graduate school. They were married in California in November 1956, where Jim joined Lockheed as a mathematician and enrolled in a doctoral program at Stanford University. The couple settled in Palo Alto, where their two children, Jeffrey Scott and Susan Pamela, were born. After Jim earned his Ph.D. in 1963, the family made a cross-country road trip to Burnt Hills, New York, where Jim and Nancy moved into the house on Kevin Drive where they lived for most of their lives. Jim was employed by the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL) in Niskayuna until his retirement in 1995. He was a member of the Tau Beta Pi, Pi Mu Epsilon, and Phi Lambda Upsilon honor societies, the American Mathematical Society, and the Edinburgh Mathematical Society.
Outside of family, Jim’s greatest passion was the outdoors. He played football and basketball in his younger years, but in the Northeast he reveled in the region’s recreational opportunities. He enjoyed skiing (both downhill and cross-country), swimming, running, biking, and birdwatching, and often took his family to the Adirondacks, New Hampshire, and Maine for hiking and canoeing adventures. He was a fixture at local road races, as a runner and volunteer, and frequently medaled in his age group. He ran his first Boston Marathon in 1981 as an official entrant and went on to compete in the New York Marathon, and in Boston almost every year for the next decade. The first year of his retirement, he rode his bike across the country with Cycle America, dipping his tires into the Pacific Ocean in Washington State and finishing on the Maine Coast. In his retirement, he and Nancy became international travelers, visiting at least 20 countries around the globe, and vacationing annually with good friends in Siesta Key, Florida.
Jim was also a voice in local politics with particular interest in environmental causes, and was an active member of the Democratic Committee, ECOS: The Environmental Clearinghouse, and the Schenectady County Environmental Action Council (SCEAC).
Jim was married to his beloved wife Nancy for 65 years, before her passing earlier this year. He is survived by his daughter Susan Edwards Richmond (James Richmond) and their daughters Elana Richmond and Sonia Richmond; and by his son Jeffrey Edwards (Nancy Edwards) and their children: Amy Parker (Andrew Parker and family), Kristine Dingman (Michael Dingman and family), Mathew Salerno (Sara Salerno and family), and Mary Salerno.
Friends and relatives are welcomed to a memorial service and burial on November 9 at 11 AM at the Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery. Please arrive at cemetery front office by 10:55 AM. The funeral director will organize vehicles for procession into cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Union of Concerned Scientists or ECOS: The Environmental Clearninghouse, two causes close to Jim’s heart, or to another cherished charity.
Jim was born on January 19, 1930, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Frank Randolph Edwards and Mildred Grether Edwards. A graduate of Riverside High School, he earned his bachelor of science in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 1952. After serving in Alaska with the U.S. Army, he returned to UW to complete a master’s in mathematics.
Jim met the love of his life, Nancy Julia Tegger, during graduate school. They were married in California in November 1956, where Jim joined Lockheed as a mathematician and enrolled in a doctoral program at Stanford University. The couple settled in Palo Alto, where their two children, Jeffrey Scott and Susan Pamela, were born. After Jim earned his Ph.D. in 1963, the family made a cross-country road trip to Burnt Hills, New York, where Jim and Nancy moved into the house on Kevin Drive where they lived for most of their lives. Jim was employed by the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL) in Niskayuna until his retirement in 1995. He was a member of the Tau Beta Pi, Pi Mu Epsilon, and Phi Lambda Upsilon honor societies, the American Mathematical Society, and the Edinburgh Mathematical Society.
Outside of family, Jim’s greatest passion was the outdoors. He played football and basketball in his younger years, but in the Northeast he reveled in the region’s recreational opportunities. He enjoyed skiing (both downhill and cross-country), swimming, running, biking, and birdwatching, and often took his family to the Adirondacks, New Hampshire, and Maine for hiking and canoeing adventures. He was a fixture at local road races, as a runner and volunteer, and frequently medaled in his age group. He ran his first Boston Marathon in 1981 as an official entrant and went on to compete in the New York Marathon, and in Boston almost every year for the next decade. The first year of his retirement, he rode his bike across the country with Cycle America, dipping his tires into the Pacific Ocean in Washington State and finishing on the Maine Coast. In his retirement, he and Nancy became international travelers, visiting at least 20 countries around the globe, and vacationing annually with good friends in Siesta Key, Florida.
Jim was also a voice in local politics with particular interest in environmental causes, and was an active member of the Democratic Committee, ECOS: The Environmental Clearinghouse, and the Schenectady County Environmental Action Council (SCEAC).
Jim was married to his beloved wife Nancy for 65 years, before her passing earlier this year. He is survived by his daughter Susan Edwards Richmond (James Richmond) and their daughters Elana Richmond and Sonia Richmond; and by his son Jeffrey Edwards (Nancy Edwards) and their children: Amy Parker (Andrew Parker and family), Kristine Dingman (Michael Dingman and family), Mathew Salerno (Sara Salerno and family), and Mary Salerno.
Friends and relatives are welcomed to a memorial service and burial on November 9 at 11 AM at the Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery. Please arrive at cemetery front office by 10:55 AM. The funeral director will organize vehicles for procession into cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Union of Concerned Scientists or ECOS: The Environmental Clearninghouse, two causes close to Jim’s heart, or to another cherished charity.