Edgar Lawrence Echols, Jr.

Obituary of Edgar L Echols Jr: A Life Well Lived

Ed loved Sports. His love of sports began at Ravenna High School in Ohio where he excelled in football, wrestling and track, won numerous awards/trophies and was recognized as Mr. Ohio for his athletics. Ed was a diehard Ohio State Buckeyes fan. During his last days, he and Marti (wife) were watching his beloved Buckeyes on TV, cheering them on as they continued their season winning streak of 6-0. Fishing was a family sport, taught by his grandmother and parents when he was a young lad called “June Bug”. His love of fishing with family took him everywhere. You could see him with his fishing gear, road maps and family going down the highways, with his boat in tow. As the family grew, Little Ron (nephew) drove a second car to haul more family and friends as they traveled to cottages and fishing lodges throughout the US and Canada.

Music was in Ed’s bones. It was his connection to happiness. What began in the church choir, became singing under the streetlamps with friends, dancing on American Bandstand, and receiving 45 rpm records from high school friends while in the military. When Ed began to sing and dance, the room stopped. He sang, danced and engaged everyone sharing the gift of music. Ed was a 1950’s & 60’s Motown and Doo Wop fan who went to hundreds of concerts, operas and musicals and loved them all. Even in his last years when his memory was fading, Ed could sing and remember all the song lyrics that played on Sirius radio. As Samantha cared for Ed, she learned the music and lyrics to the songs of his era. When Samantha first began to sing, Ed told her “don’t quit your day job”. Little did Ed know, she would teach him Jamaican hip hop songs to sing and dance. Even on his last day music from the “Platters” played as Marti and their friends listened to “At the end of the day, my prayer is to linger with you.”

The military defined his life. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, the US was in a time of racial segregation, civil unrest, and war in Korea and Viet Nam. At that time, the US had a military draft, requiring all men age 18 to register and serve their country. After graduating high school, he and his best friend Dave enlisted in the Army under the “Buddy System”. As an athlete, Ed was prepared for the physical demands, structure and discipline needed to succeed. He saw the military could offer him experiences, travel, and career opportunities and he embraced this phase of his life with everything he had. He loved jumping out of airplanes, being a Special Forces Ranger and training his men. His travel took him all over the world, where he took time to learn multiples languages, cook food from many countries, and sing songs the villagers taught him. These experiences became an integral part of Ed. He still loved when Samantha or Marti took him to watch the airplanes and when Padmini and Naushira sat with him by his pool watching the planes in the sky. Ed was known for his Army hoodie, military cap and “saluting” children he met in the store, as well as the people he loved. For him it was a deep sign of respect for the past as well as hope in the future to come.

Faith. To know Ed was to see the love of God in action. His parents, Elder and Sister Echols led the Pentecostal church in Warren Ohio for many years. Raised in the church, Ed learned to lean on God for guidance and protection, singing in the church choir was a must (per his mom), he learned to love, share and welcome a community of people regardless of differences, to always look “fly” and to be on your best behavior since you are the preacher’s son. The strength of family was challenged with the death of his sister in their house fire as well as with the death of his youngest brother (Leonard) as a teenager. No worries though, Ed with his brother (Ron) kept mom quite busy with their antics. Strength and commitment to family and friends was demonstrated in his life and that became an anchor for the man Ed would become.

Family and friends. Family and friends brought Ed a sense of happiness and fulfillment. He loved gatherings of people to share, talk and fellowship. He welcomed people into his life and into his home. He was a fabulous cook (taught by his mom and grandma) and it always gave him a chance to show off his cooking skills. Truly Ed never met a stranger. He would see someone he never met, and they would feel like they knew each other their whole life. I wanted to list the names of all the family and friends made over the years, but surely someone will be left out and have hurt feelings. Know that Ed cared and loved you deeply whether you were part of the large extended personal family, close friends who are our family, church families, work families, his fishing buddy Ramon, his covenant with Dr. Ahmed, the Publix clerk where he bought his daily paper, Pep Boys that took care of his cars, his barber of more than 15 years, the Burger King staff up the street, the clerk at Walgreens on the corner, and his primary caregiver and her family, Samantha.

Know that Ed had a full life who chose to invest his time in people- meeting you, getting to know you and making you a part of his life. Today Ed leaves us, surrounded by his love and with a Final Salute to you all.

Memorial Service will be live streamed-scroll to bottom of page to view.