John Edwards’ father, Wallace Edwards, dies at 85

The father of former U.S. Sen. John Edwards, Wallace R. Edwards, died on Friday at St. Joseph of the Pines. He was 85.

Edwards, a South Carolina native, was an industrial engineer for 36 years, working at Miliken, Inc. before starting his own textile consulting firm.

He worked tirelessly, his obituary reads. “He never stopped wanting to make things better.”

Edwards was a deacon and Sunday School teacher at Robbins First Baptist Church.

“Throughout his life, family came first, and he was loved and respected by his family,” his obituary reads. “His family was everything to him.”

Edwards was married to his wife, Catherine “Bobbi” Wallace for 65 years. He had two sons – John and Blake – and a daughter, Kathy, along with eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

The funeral was held Sunday at 3 p.m. at the church. Burial was set for a later date in Oconee Memorial Gardens, Seneca, S.C.

Memorials can be made to the Robbins First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 400, Robbins, NC 27325 and online condolences can be made at pinesfunerals.com.

This story was originally published July 31, 2017 at 11:59 AM with the headline "John Edwards’ father, Wallace Edwards, dies at 85."