Henry Banks Edwards, Sr., retired USN CDR, passed away on Oct 18, 2004, at his residence at Westpointe Retirement Community, Pensacola, FL.
Born March 16, 1912 in Portland, Ore, the son of William Dresser Edwards and Lucy Banks Wilkinson.
His parents as well as his spouse of 64 years, Alethea P. Edwards, and his brothers William Dresser Edwards, Jr. and Robert Wilkinson Edwards preceded him in death.
He is survived by his three sons and their wives H. Banks Edwards, Jr. and Gail Blanchard, G. Serpell Edwards and Elizabeth Baie, and William B. Edwards and Susan Chalmers as well as nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren
He attended high school in Memphis, TN and graduated from the Univ. of Tenn, as a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, with a degree in Engineering, having been a student of Dr. Carrier, founder of Carrier Air Conditioning.
He entered the US Navy after the Pearl Harbor attack, serving as a Helium Purification Officer in several assignments prior to being assigned a Ship Repair Officer at Portsmouth Naval Yard. Released from active duty in 1946, he worked with Trane Air Conditioning in Richmond, VA. Recalled for the Korean War, he again was assigned as a Ship Repair Officer at Portsmouth and subsequently to Subic Bay and Bureau of Ships, Washington, D.C.
After being released from active duty in 1955, he settled in Houston, Texas, where he founded Acme Air Conditioning and later H. Banks Edwards Company, where he was a pioneer Ozone Application Engineer.
Services were held at Naval Aviation Memorial Chapel, NAS Pensacola at 10:00 AM, October 25, 2004. Burial followed at Barrancas National Cemetery, with full military honors., where he shares the grave of his wife.
Honorary
pallbearers were H. Banks Edwards, Jr, H. Banks Edwards, III, Jason Edwards,
Rachael E. Johnson, G. Serpell Edwards; Jonathan Edwards, Timothy Edwards,
William Edwards, Robert C. Edwards, Robert W. Edwards, Jr. and Anne M.
Edwards
HARPER - MORRIS MEMORIAL CHAPEL was in charge of arrangements.
Visitation will be Sunday from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Harper-Morris Memorial
Chapel, Airport Blvd, Pensacola, FL.