Charles Richard Edwards
January 24, 1941 — February 3, 2023
Charles Richard Edwards was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Gordon and Camille Smith Edwards on January 24th, 1941. Just after his 82nd birthday, he passed away at home on February 3rd, 2023. Charles lived a very adventurous and creative life. Yet, he never moved from his hometown. He was Charles to his wife, Chuck to some, Boppa to grandkids, and Dickie to his sisters and childhood friends.
Remembering the past, he would revive fond childhood memories of delivering the Gazette to businesses and patients in St. Luke’s which were on his route in his neighborhood. As a kid, he prided himself on having a great sense of smell and when he delivered the paper to the dairy, he was sometimes asked to taste some milk because he could tell them when it was almost ready to turn sour before anyone else.
In his youth, Charles graduated with the second class to graduate from the then-new George Washington High School and attended the University of Iowa. That association cemented a lifelong passion to support the University and especially the athletic department. He was responsible for many innovative ways to promote and recruit for the Hawkeyes, including some the NCAA ruled gave Iowa an unfair advantage. Once, his good friend George Wine, the sports information director, asked for his help in designing a more marketable logo for them. Charles turned to another good friend Bill Colbert to take a crack at creating a new logo for the Hawkeyes. The durable logo called the tiger hawk was designed by Bill on a napkin on an airplane.
As a boy, his father started teaching him the skills of printing by first doing a good job sweeping the floor and eventually taking over what would become Pepco Litho from his father. It was a high-end commercial color printing company with a reputation as the gold standard in the industry both in quality and design with sales offices in different parts of the country.
Throughout his life, his knowledge of printing, publishing, art, and design became foundational in many endeavors including being on the ground floor of establishing Kirkwood Community College and the print and design department which included teaching some classes, a founding member of the 9th District of the American Advertising Federation, as well as being a trustee for Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary for the United Methodist Church and co-leading a very successful capital campaign for them with Jerry Stead, who is named in the Stead Family Children’s Hospital at University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics.
When Pepco started printing the catalog for Riverside Book and Bible, in Iowa Falls and was the largest Bible distributor in the world, Charles got the idea to start a poster company that didn’t exist yet –design and market large posters with quality art and photography and bible verses instead of just catchy phrases. The genesis for that business was a creative painting of the crucifixion by his grandson Travis who painted it for his mother’s parents, Rev. Gene, and Marna Hancock.
In the last half of his life, he was on a passionate journey in his new-found faith as a follower of Jesus Christ. At times he was insatiable in learning, reading, joining Bible study groups, and getting involved in St. Paul’s United Methodist Church community where he had been baptized and raised. This was the most rewarding journey of his life. He enjoyed writing and delivering sermons, and serving the church in various ways. In the last few years, he was writing a devotional blog he intended to be 365 entries. He completed almost 300.
As for all of us, ups and downs are part of our good intentions as we seek to become more like God intends us to be. The ups are more insightful and life-changing. No less for Charles. Nothing gave him greater joy than to spend time with his granddaughter Samantha and later with her little brother Hank who live nearby. He would take each to Swing Slide (the playground in the park) and then for ice cream, reading books, learning how to play checkers, and riding a bike. He tried to do those things with Hank but often with different results and different interests.
There was a resilience and adaptability in Charles that surprised all of us as he lived the last years of his life with major damage from radiation to kill the cancer that left him unable to swallow, speak, or breathe without a tracheostomy. His love for cooking, cooking shows, and grocery shopping continued even though he couldn’t even taste what he made. He still lived with meaning and purpose.
He is survived by his sisters, Sheryl Prosser and Sally Hendrickson; his wife of 37 years, Lora Lea Hancock Edwards; daughter, Lisa Ann Edwards; stepchildren, Alyssa and Travis Kupka; grandchildren, Samantha Sorenson and Hank Kisling, Kylie, Ethan, and Cody Kupka; and great-granddaughter, Harper.
Celebration of Life events will be on February 25th at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church located at 1340 3rd Ave. S.E. with parking on the 2nd Avenue side. A visitation will be from 12:30-2:00. The Service starts at 2:00 and is followed by refreshments and treats, laughter, and memories.
Memorials may be given to St. Paul’s U. Methodist Church Foundation Youth Fund.
Remembering the past, he would revive fond childhood memories of delivering the Gazette to businesses and patients in St. Luke’s which were on his route in his neighborhood. As a kid, he prided himself on having a great sense of smell and when he delivered the paper to the dairy, he was sometimes asked to taste some milk because he could tell them when it was almost ready to turn sour before anyone else.
In his youth, Charles graduated with the second class to graduate from the then-new George Washington High School and attended the University of Iowa. That association cemented a lifelong passion to support the University and especially the athletic department. He was responsible for many innovative ways to promote and recruit for the Hawkeyes, including some the NCAA ruled gave Iowa an unfair advantage. Once, his good friend George Wine, the sports information director, asked for his help in designing a more marketable logo for them. Charles turned to another good friend Bill Colbert to take a crack at creating a new logo for the Hawkeyes. The durable logo called the tiger hawk was designed by Bill on a napkin on an airplane.
As a boy, his father started teaching him the skills of printing by first doing a good job sweeping the floor and eventually taking over what would become Pepco Litho from his father. It was a high-end commercial color printing company with a reputation as the gold standard in the industry both in quality and design with sales offices in different parts of the country.
Throughout his life, his knowledge of printing, publishing, art, and design became foundational in many endeavors including being on the ground floor of establishing Kirkwood Community College and the print and design department which included teaching some classes, a founding member of the 9th District of the American Advertising Federation, as well as being a trustee for Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary for the United Methodist Church and co-leading a very successful capital campaign for them with Jerry Stead, who is named in the Stead Family Children’s Hospital at University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics.
When Pepco started printing the catalog for Riverside Book and Bible, in Iowa Falls and was the largest Bible distributor in the world, Charles got the idea to start a poster company that didn’t exist yet –design and market large posters with quality art and photography and bible verses instead of just catchy phrases. The genesis for that business was a creative painting of the crucifixion by his grandson Travis who painted it for his mother’s parents, Rev. Gene, and Marna Hancock.
In the last half of his life, he was on a passionate journey in his new-found faith as a follower of Jesus Christ. At times he was insatiable in learning, reading, joining Bible study groups, and getting involved in St. Paul’s United Methodist Church community where he had been baptized and raised. This was the most rewarding journey of his life. He enjoyed writing and delivering sermons, and serving the church in various ways. In the last few years, he was writing a devotional blog he intended to be 365 entries. He completed almost 300.
As for all of us, ups and downs are part of our good intentions as we seek to become more like God intends us to be. The ups are more insightful and life-changing. No less for Charles. Nothing gave him greater joy than to spend time with his granddaughter Samantha and later with her little brother Hank who live nearby. He would take each to Swing Slide (the playground in the park) and then for ice cream, reading books, learning how to play checkers, and riding a bike. He tried to do those things with Hank but often with different results and different interests.
There was a resilience and adaptability in Charles that surprised all of us as he lived the last years of his life with major damage from radiation to kill the cancer that left him unable to swallow, speak, or breathe without a tracheostomy. His love for cooking, cooking shows, and grocery shopping continued even though he couldn’t even taste what he made. He still lived with meaning and purpose.
He is survived by his sisters, Sheryl Prosser and Sally Hendrickson; his wife of 37 years, Lora Lea Hancock Edwards; daughter, Lisa Ann Edwards; stepchildren, Alyssa and Travis Kupka; grandchildren, Samantha Sorenson and Hank Kisling, Kylie, Ethan, and Cody Kupka; and great-granddaughter, Harper.
Celebration of Life events will be on February 25th at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church located at 1340 3rd Ave. S.E. with parking on the 2nd Avenue side. A visitation will be from 12:30-2:00. The Service starts at 2:00 and is followed by refreshments and treats, laughter, and memories.
Memorials may be given to St. Paul’s U. Methodist Church Foundation Youth Fund.
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