Charles Wesley “Chuck” Edwards, Jr., age 94, died Friday, January 23, 2026. He was the son of Charles Wesley Edwards and Orlean Randle Edwards both descended from pioneer educators and merchants in Dale and Coffee counties in Alabama, Lowndes County, Mississippi, and Jefferson County, Alabama.
Mr. Edwards grew up in Auburn, Alabama, where his father served as the Registrar and Admissions Officer of Auburn University. Mr. Edwards attended public elementary and junior high in Auburn. He graduated from high school at Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire. He graduated Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and completed his coursework towards his masters at the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton graduate school.
He served in the US Air Force 1954–1956 and later served in the Air Guard and Air Reserve. He rose to the rank of Captain.
His career in banking began in 1954 at the First National Bank of Atlanta where he was a management trainee. From 1958 to 1964 at Montgomery‘s First National Bank as a junior commercial lending officer and 1964 – 1966 at Central Bank & Trust Company, Owensboro, Kentucky, where he was CEO and Executive VP, Trust officer and Director. From 1966–1977 at Shoals National Bank of Florence, Florence AL he was President and Director and from 1978 until retirement in 1990 as Senior VP, National City Bank (formerly First Kentucky Trust Company and First National Bank of Louisville, Kentucky).
During these years, he served as Associate Professorial Lecturer, and adjunct professor at George Washington University, University of Louisville and University of Alabama, respectively. He served as Instructor at Banking School at LSU and for the American College of Life Underwriters and American Institute of Banking in Montgomery, Alabama.
Mr. Edwards was an active member of First United Methodist Church, Florence, Alabama, and a member of the Ferguson Sunday school class. Mr. Edwards was an Eagle Scout and served on the council boards of the Montgomery, Alabama, Owensboro, Kentucky, and Tennessee Valley councils of the Boy Scouts of America. He was co chairman 1969 United fund campaign for Florence, Alabama and the Muscle Shoals Mental Health Association board 1967 to 1977 and president 1975 to 1976. He cochaired a successful fundraiser in 1968 to restore the home of WC Handy in Florence Alabama. He was a former member of the Rotary Club of Louisville, Kentucky, and a member of the Rotary Club of Florence, Alabama. From Rotary he received the Paul Harris fellow designation.
Mr. Edwards is survived by (his wife of 64 years, Katherine Sellers Edwards); his three sons, Charles Wesley Edwards III (Lynnell Major), James Sellers Edwards (Margriet Livain) and William Thompson Edwards (Elizabeth Chumley). He is also survived by his grandchildren, Charles Wesley IV (Seattle), Jasper McAfee (Louisville), William Thompson Jr. (Los Angeles), Lydia Katherine (Nashville), Ann Merritt of (Birmingham), Morgan Gray (Georgetown, SC); one great-grandchild, Charles Wesley V and by two brothers, the Reverend Richard E Edwards, R. Randle Edwards and predeceased by his sister, Ellen Gillis.
It is anticipated Memorial services will be held Monday, January 26, 2026 at 11 a.m. at Florence First United Methodist Church.
In lieu flowers, donations may be made to the Florence First United Methodist Church, Florence, AL or the Charles W Edwards Senior Endowment for the Humanities, Auburn University Foundation, ATTN: Gift Accounting, P.O. Box 3140, Auburn, AL 36831-3140.
