Lon E. “Lonnie” Edwards, 72, St. Joseph, Missouri, died Tuesday, September 13, 2022 at his home.
Born December 2, 1949 at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., Lon was raised in St. Joseph, Missouri by his parents, Raymond H. and Gonalee “Lee” (Shelton) Edwards along with his sisters, Cheryl leigh and Teri. Lon’s parents preceded him in death.
He attended South Park Elementary School and was a graduate of Benton High School Class of 1968. While at Benton he was active in high school sports and was named to the All City and All Conference Football Teams his senior year. He served as a lifeguard at Hyde Pool in 1967. He earned a B.A. degree in English Literature from Northwest Missouri State University in 1972. While at Northwest he joined Tau Kappa Epsilon Social Fraternity.
Lonnie began his career with Morris-Plan in 1974. He then worked as a programmer for the former Missouri Methodist Medical Center from 1975 until 1984. He worked for Dodson Insurance, Jackson County Circuit Court, Klindt Corporation and EDS all in the Kansas City area between 1984 and 2001. He then moved to Denver, Colorado where he worked for Percepta until 2009. In 2012 he returned to Missouri, ending his career with US Bank in 2017.
Lonnie was a lifelong member of the Boy Scouts of America. He joined Pack 12 as a Cub and later entered Troop 12 as a Boy Scout. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout in 1963, the same year in which he was selected for membership in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. He found his home and friends who would stick with him for the rest of his life at Camp Geiger. He served on the Camp Staff in 1966, and 1968 through 1973. He attended two National Jamborees, 1973 and 1989. He attended Woodbadge Class NC389 and was active at unit, district and council levels. He worked his way up through the ranks of Mic-O-Say, enjoying his service, comradery and hijinks with his cadre of friends. He eventually rose to the rank of Chieftain. The Eagle Scout Class of 2012 was named in his honor.
He was a sportsman throughout his adult life, where he played fastpitch softball in St. Joseph for many years. Lonnie served as the first president of the grounds crew for the National Fastpitch Tournament in 1981 and 1984.
Lonnie loved the Kansas City Chiefs, from the first game he and his dad attended. He would become a season ticket holder, Red Coater and was famous for his tailgating which included Margaritas Grande at F-22 Baby in the parking lot. If you were there you will remember 6 Flags Over Lonnie, however, if you were there you may not remember anything at all!
Lonnie was a self-proclaimed “Joiner”. He was proud to be a good Lutheran. He was a member of St. Joseph Lodge #78, A.F. & A.M; Thirty-Second Degree Scottish Rite Mason, Moila Shrine; Y-Fry Class #42; Sons of Confederate Veterans and Sons of the American Revolution. He qualified for membership in MENSA, of which he was a proud, and sometimes boastful member.
If you knew Lonnie, you know he liked to have fun. His laughter was contagious; making others laugh was a feat he relished. He was a raconteur and loved to tell a good joke, over and over and over again. He lived to be the center-of-attention and could hold his audience spellbound. After a session of his repartee all one could do was simply shake their head. Even as a proud Southsider, he loved the time he spent in the North End at the Brown Bear with his friends there that he accumulated over his lifetime. He always enjoyed an ice-cold drink and was the proud founder of Martini Night.
He is survived by his two sisters, Cheryl Leigh Richardson and her husband, Robert, of Woodinville, Washington and Teri Rene Edwards of Friendsville, Texas; a nephew, Sean Richardson of California; a niece, Erin Richardson of Washington, and an interesting menagerie of friends who he considered family.
Although soon there will be nothing but a granite stone to mark Lonnie’s life, his name his legacy will live on, on the hills above the river . . .
Farewell Services 3:00 P.M. Monday, September 26, 2022 at Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory. Inurnment Whispering Pines Cremation Gardens at St. Joseph, Memorial Park. Family will gather with friends 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. Sunday, September 25, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory. Memorial gifts are suggested to St. Joseph Parks & Recreation c/o Friends of the Park or the Mic-O-Say Centennial History Book Project.
