Edward Cross' Obituary
Edward James Cross, 53, of Memphis, Tennessee, passed away Sunday, July 2, 2017. Ed was born in Des Plaines, Illinois, to Lorene Cross and the late Edward Cross Sr. Ed is survived by his loving wife Carole North Cross, sisters Judith Cross and Carolyn Greer (Paul), brother-in-law George Coppedge, sister-in-law Therese North Jaworski (Kenneth), nieces Alexandra Greer, Kelli Ford Minor (Trey), Katherine Ford Hayes (Clint) and Amy Ford Snider. He was preceded in death by his sister Suzanne Cross Coppedge and nephew Morgan Jesse Greer. He is also survived by many aunts, cousins and friends. Ed was a graduate of Christian Brothers High School in Memphis and received his Bachelor of Science and Master’s in Finance degrees from The University of Memphis. He also attended The University of Tennessee in Knoxville and The University of South Carolina in Columbia. His career focused on neighborhood preservation of underserved communities in Memphis. He poured his heart, soul and energy into his work. He believed all people deserved a safe living environment and should benefit from the same quality of services as the larger metropolitan area. He was dedicated to this purpose. As a younger man Ed traveled to many parts of the world and studied the history, cultures and languages. He had an insatiable curiosity and was a history buff. At the age of 8, he read every book about the Civil War to be found in the public library. The family embarked on a trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where Ed proudly wore his Union uniform that was made for him by his sister Sue. He immersed himself in study of both World Wars in which his paternal grandfather (a Purple Heart recipient) and his dad fought on the front lines. Through family documents and regimental records he was able to follow their steps through the battlefields. Ed was a voracious reader of all genres from philosophy to thrillers. Music also ran through his blood. He played guitar when he found the time and was a loyal supporter of the local music scene. He and Carole attended concerts in Memphis and Nashville, a favorite pastime. Ed was a gentle, lighthearted soul and funny as hell. He had no airs. A warm field of energy surrounded him and people were easily drawn in. All who knew him will remember his goodness and then shake their heads because he left us too soon. As C.S. Lewis said, “[His] absence is like the sky, spread over everything.” You can rest now, Edward. All services will be held at Memorial Park Funeral Home on Saturday, July 8. The visitation will begin at 1:30 p.m. and the memorial service will follow at 2:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Memphis Fire Department Foundation, 65 S. Front Street, Memphis, Tennessee 38103. We are grateful to the first responders from Memphis Fire Station #11 on Union Avenue and EMTs Casey Childs, David Shelby and Brandon Eskew who worked so hard to save Ed’s life.
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