David Ray Edwards

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of David Ray Edwards of Atlanta, GA on August 25th, 2020, at the age of 68.

He will be dearly missed by his family: his wife of 44 years, Cecilia Foster Edwards, their three children: David Foster Edwards (Corrinne), Frank Vincent Edwards (Robin) and Mary Adeline “Addy” Cecilia Edwards and his four grandchildren: David Isaac Edwards, Paige Kidd Edwards, Mary Louise Edwards and Robert Foster Edwards. David is survived by his older sister Jeanette Edwards Lewis and younger brother Daniel Scott Edwards (Juli), among nieces, nephews, cousins and countless friends and colleagues.

David aka “Big Dave” was born in Shelbyville, TN on March 27th, 1952. His family moved to Canton, GA. David attended Cherokee County High School and was a member of the football, wrestling and track teams. He earned a degree in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.

David had a long, impressive career in commercial construction, mainly hotel development. He worked for Ritz-Carlton for many years, followed by a 30 year run of his own development consulting company, Edwards Development Services. David loved the tangible aspect of hotel development and relished in the fact his family and friends were able to enjoy his work. Being the intelligent, numbers-focused guy he was,
David could recite to you (whether you asked or not) every detail of a project- how much the marble cost, how many tons of concrete were poured and how many bricks were laid. David loved to work; and the various projects he worked on will serve as a part of his legacy.

David and Cecilia are members of the Cathedral of Christ the King. They sent their three children to Christ the King School and St. Pius X Catholic High School; two communities they have loved dearly and continue to cherish the friendships and relationships from both. David and Cecilia have been members of Ansley Golf Club for 40 years. David also spent time on Lake Keowee at their family’s shared lake house aka “The Happy House.”

In the final three and half years of his life, David quietly battled Multiple Myeloma- an incurable, rare type of blood cancer. While continuing to live life as normally as possible, he received various treatments from the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University. His family is thankful for the utmost care he received from his doctors and nurses. David never complained for a moment and had a very positive outlook, as he always did
throughout his life.

He will be remembered for his undying love for his wife, Cecilia, his children and grandchildren. David and Cecilia always functioned as a team and seemed to have the most fun together, no matter what they were doing. David always had an infectious smile, fun-loving demeanor and incredible dance moves. He loved live music, especially the Allman Brothers Band, and he was an avid fan of Georgia Tech football. He was simply the best!

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the respective annual funds for either Christ the King School or St. Pius X Catholic High School.

Due to restrictions related to COVID-19, the funeral will be a small, invite-only ceremony at the Cathedral of Christ the King.