William M. Edwards

With sadness, we announce the passing of William Edwards of Gardner, Ma. Born in Queens, New York, on April 28, 1949, he was the son of Thomas A. Edwards and Florence Piehl.

 Bill served in the US Air Force for 4 years during the Vietnam Era. He continued his service with the Army Reserves for over 20 years, serving during Operation Desert Storm, retiring with the rank of Second Lieutenant. He graduated from Boston State College in 1981, earning a degree in Business Administration. While attending college, he attended and completed the ROTC program at Northeastern University, earning his commission as 1st Lieutenant. He worked for the Social Security Administration for over 30 years, retiring in 2012.

 Bill was an active member of his community. He was a member of Annunciation Parish in Gardner for 40 years and served in the choir for many years. He was a longtime member of the Gardner Elks Lodge, serving as Trustee from 2014-2019. He also served as trustee for the Templeton Golden Agers Club for 4 years.

He leaves behind his loving wife, Patricia A. (Bolton) Edwards, to whom he was married for over 51 years and his devoted daughter, Andrea Edwards, of Gardner, Ma. Additionally, he leaves behind his brothers, John Edwards of Hadley, Ma, Mark Edwards of Middleboro, Ma, Geoffrey Edwards of Wareham, Ma, and his sister, Michele Rodriguez of Casa Grande, AZ. He also leaves behind his brother-in-law, Brad Wambolt, of Lincoln, ME and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son, Glenn Edwards and brothers, Thomas and Charles.

The family would like to extend its gratitude to the staff at Fitchburg Healthcare Center and Beacon Hospice for their compassionate care of Bill in his final days.

Please join us to honor William's life at the Mack Family Funeral Homes Gardner Chapel, 105 Central Street, Gardner, Massachusetts, on Friday, February 14th, 2025, from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m. His funeral service will be held at Holy Rosary Church, 135 Nichols St., Gardner, MA, at 1:00 p.m. The Burial will be private at Wildwood Cemetery, West Street, Gardner, MA.

We encourage you to leave memories and upload photos to the memorial page, celebrating William's life, and the positive impact he had on us all. His legacy of service, resilience, and love will forever be remembered.