Dr. Troy Edwards

Dr. Troy W. Edwards, 90, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Carbondale, Ill., passed away Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at Meredith Funeral Home in Carbondale. The Rev. Frank Pierce will officiate. Interment will be in Oakland Cemetery in Carbondale.

Friends may call from noon until time of the service at the funeral home.

Memorial donations are the preferred form of remembrance and may be made to Centenary United Methodist Church, Cape Girardeau, or a humane society.

Dr. Edwards was born Dec. 18, 1915, in Pittsburg, Ill., son of Walter and Ellen Fowler Edwards. He married Richadene Pabst Dec. 10, 1938. She passed away Aug. 4, 1997. On May 19, 2000, he married Marion Bell Miles of Cape Girardeau. She survives and is of Cape Girardeau.

Other survivors include a nephew, Lowell "Bud" Franklin of Johnston City, Ill.; and a niece, Delores Biehl of Litchfield, Ill.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Ardis Matthews and Bernice Franklin.

Dr. Edwards was the associate dean, College of Education, Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, until his retirement in 1976.

He received a bachelor of science in education in 1938 from SIUC, and a master of science in education from SIUC in 1947. He received an Ed D from Indiana University in 1954.

He has been a principal at Harco, Ill., a teacher and coach at Carbondale Elementary School in 1943. He attended Princeton University, USNR in 1943; attended Harvard University USNR in 1944; Lt. USNR 1943 to 1947. He was an instructor and coach at University School, Carbondale, 1947; assistant principal, University School, Carbondale, 1949, and professor and associate dean College of Education at SIU 1954 to 1976.

He was a Naval officer in the South Pacific during World War II.

At SIU he was president of Phi Delta Kappa, Gamma Delta Chapter, 1963. He was faculty sponsor Phi Delta Kappa 1965 to 1970. He was a member of Illinois State Teacher Certification Board eight years, team member of North Central High School Evaluation Team, and was the recipient of 25-year service award SIU, 1973.

Dr. Edwards was a four-year cage star at SIU and was captain of the 1938 Maroon team which participated in the International Basketball Tournament in Mexico City. He was also recognized as one of the top baseball performers in Little Egypt.

He was a member of Lions International and life member of the VFW. He was a member of Centenary United Methodist Church.