OBITUARY: Jimmy Dean Edwards

Jimmy Dean Edwards, 78, died Sunday, Jan. 29, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

A longtime Brentwood resident, Edwards worked for the Baptist Sunday School Board for 27 years in a variety of leadership roles, including vice president of publishing and distribution and vice president of marketing before retiring in 1992.

Edwards was born in Roanoke, Va., on Mar. 24, 1938, the oldest of four children. A 1956 graduate of Andrew Lewis High School, he attended the U.S. Military Academy and Roanoke College before graduating from the University of Richmond in 1960 where he earned a Phi Beta Kappa key and served as the president of the Baptist Student Union. He was ordained by the Southern Baptist Church the same year. He received a Master’s Degree in Theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1963. Edwards served in a variety of pastoral positions before joining the Sunday School Board in 1969. Concurrent with his tenure, he also served in a number of church and publishing leadership positions, including distributing Christian literature around the world. During his lifetime, he served more than 20 churches in a full-time or interim capacity. Upon his retirement, he devoted his attentions to his two favorite pastimes: his grandchildren and St. Louis Cardinals baseball.

Edwards is preceded in death by his parents, James and Geneva Edwards and sisters, Connie Roberts and Diane Clemons. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Sue; daughters, Janet Searcy (Tim), Laura  Lankford (John), Annette Atwood (Jeff)  and Jennifer Cavendish (Steve); sister, Debbie Poff (Ronnie); nine grandchildren and spouses, and one great granddaughter.

There will be a visitation at First Baptist Church, 108 7th Ave. S., Nashville, on Thursday, Feb. 2 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. A celebration of life service will be held at First Baptist Church Nashville at 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Baptist Church Nashville building fund or the Williamson Co. Young Life Capernaum, a ministry for special needs children.  An online guestbook is available at AustinFuneralService.com615-377-0775