David Lee Edwards, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, and friend, passed away Sunday, June 23, from complications of multiple myeloma. He spent his last days receiving exceptional care at EvergreenHealth Hospice Center, Kirkland, WA with family at his side.

Dave, son of Steven and Violet Edwards, was born on August 19, 1930, in Los Angeles, California during the Great Depression.  At age eleven his father left the family. Dave began working to help support his mother and two younger siblings, Benjamin and Madeleine. He picked lima beans, cleaned classrooms, and performed odd jobs for neighbors. He developed a work ethic and positive attitude that stayed with him throughout his life.

When Dave was a junior in high school, his mother remarried and moved to Arlington, WA to be near relatives.  Dave soon followed and completed his junior year in Arlington and his senior year at Twin City High School in Stanwood, graduating in 1949.  For two years he worked for Hanson's Grocery, which included delivering to several Stanwood homes.

In 1951,  Dave was called to serve in the United States Army. While in  basic training he completed a course in  radio maintenance  Following basic training, he was deployed to Germany where he served as a U.S. military policeman. Upon return from Germany, he began working at Alfred Hanson's Radio and TV Service in Stanwood.  Soon after, he married the love of his life, Rosemary Von Moos. They first lived in Stanwood then in 1964 built a home in Marysville where they raised four children.

To get his foot in the telephone technology door, Dave began employment as a janitor at West Coast Telephone in Everett (which later became General Telephone). He worked his way up to a senior engineer management position.  He enriched his education by taking night and weekend courses. In the mid-1970s, while working at General Telephone, he was solicited for a sales and marketing position at a telecommunications company in Southern California. The job entailed meeting with managers and engineers, and selling them technology to improve their systems. While it was a time of burgeoning technology and many possibilities, he took the job. He loved his work which ultimately brought him around the U.S. and the World, with Rosemary often joining.

Dave loved to play golf, spend time with family, and, in his earlier years, enjoyed camping and fishing with friends and family.  He often expressed gratitude for living long enough to know his beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He enjoyed supporting his grandsons and great-grandkids at sports and school events. We will forever remember his dinner toasts and prayers, always expressing his love of family and God. He instilled in us the values of hard work, honesty, integrity, gratitude, and family. He was a good man who did the very best with any given event in his life. Many lessons were learned from Dave, and many lives were touched by him. He is forever in our hearts. Rest in Peace.

We extend a special thank you to Dr Andrew Yang, Oncology, for his exceptional care.  We are grateful to have partnered with Dr Yang and his entire staff. Also, thank you to all the family and friends who have taken time and care to ease the burden of illness and loss.

Dave is survived by his wife, Rosemary, children Barbara Larson, Mike Edwards, Nancy (Rick) Brown, Grandchildren, Christopher (Sarah) Larson, Brent (Maddy) Larson, and Josh Brown, Great-grandchildren, Ava, Jack, Luke, Maxwell, and Annabelle Larson and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, James, grandson, Ryan, mother and stepfather, Violet and Roger West, sister Madeline (Bob) Anderson, and brother, Ben Edwards.

A celebration of life Mass for Dave will be held at Immaculate Conception Church in Mount Vernon, WA. at 10:00 am on Saturday, the 10th of August.  In lieu of flowers, the family graciously requests donations to support Hospice: EvergreenHealth Foundation,12040 NE 128th street; MS#5, Kirkland, WA 98034-3098 or visit www.evergreenhealthfoundation.com . Donor envelopes will also be provided at the memorial service.