Edward Fennel Mauldin, Jr., known to all who loved him as Fennel, passed away on October 17, 2026, in his beloved hometown of Leighton, Alabama. He was born in Leighton on November 11, 1952, and it was there, among the people and places that shaped him, that his remarkable life came full circle.
Fennel’s professional life was a testament to diligence, humility, and vision. He began his career in 1975 in the mail room of Bank Independent, a locally owned bank serving the financial needs of North Alabama since 1947, headquartered in Sheffield, Alabama, with assets over $2.8 billion, 662 team members, and 34 locations serving 17 communities in six counties. Fennel rose through intelligence through steady effort to become Executive Vice President of Operations and eventually became the Chief Executive Officer in 2005. At the time of his death, he had served as Chairman of the Board since 1996. Under his guidance, the institution reached new heights, yet he never lost sight of what mattered most to him: the team members, customers, and communities the bank serves. A thoughtful and inclusive leader, he earned the deep trust of his team members, who knew that whenever Fennel turned his considerable attention to a plan, it was worth doing and worth following.
Fennel graduated from Indian Springs School in Helena, Alabama in 1971. He attended Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana and graduated from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida with a BA in 1975. He completed the Graduate School of Bank Management at the University of Virginia, the IBAA Executive Development Seminar at the University of Minnesota and Sheshunoff Seminars on Operations, Marketing and Executive Management. He possessed a gift for strategic thinking, an ability to see into the future and determine the steps needed to achieve the desired result, whether in business, in the garden, or in his relationships with people.
Among his greatest joys was mentoring younger people. He had a quiet, lasting impact on many young bankers, always encouraging them to read and to grow. His favorite people to mentor, and those whose company he most treasured, were his nieces and his nephew. He always had time to talk and to offer advice when it was asked of him.
Fennel shared 44 years of a loving, enduring, and mutually respectful marriage with his wife, Evelyn VanSant Mauldin, affectionally known as “Evie”. Together they built a life rich with adventure. In his younger years, Fennel was an avid bicyclist. He, Evie, and a few good friends once rode from the Alabama Gulf Coast all the way to Sault Ste. Marie, Canada with Fennel especially loving the backroads that wound through the cornfields of Indiana. The couple enjoyed many cycling trips across the United States and beyond; one favorite took them to Italy, where they found themselves on September 11, 2001, and stayed an extra week when no planes were flying home.
Fennel and Evie traveled the world together, exploring North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, finding joy in discovery, learning, fine dining, and one another’s company. For his 50th birthday, they journeyed to Cambodia and Thailand, where, on his actual birthday, he fulfilled a lifelong wish to see Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
At home in Leighton, Fennel was a devoted and avid gardener, well known and warmly welcomed on the garden speaker and visitation circuit. A lifelong reader, he was never without a book and never missed a chance to share that love with others.
Fennel was preceded in death by his parents Mildred Preuit Mauldin and Edward Fennel Mauldin. He is survived by his wife, Evelyn VanSant Mauldin; brothers Leonard Preuit Mauldin (Becky) and Macke Buchanan Mauldin (Kim); nieces Ruth Mauldin, Anne Mauldin Osborne (Keaton), Hallie Mauldin, Elizabeth Zuelke, and Mary Hurston Zuelke McCants (Rod); his nephew Hanan Mauldin (Jessica); his sisters-in-law Martha Zuelke and Mary Marshall VanSant.
A graveside service will be held at noon on October 23, 2026, at King Cemetery, King Bridge Rd, Leighton, AL 35646 to celebrate his life and legacy. Reverend Callie Plunket-Brewton officiating. Visitation will be at the King Cemetery from 11:00 to 12:00 before the service.
Pallbearers will be Hanan Mauldin, John Dixon, Anthony Brewington, John Thornton, Frankie Guerra, Stephen Naughton, John Bowling and Raleigh Green.
Those who wish to honor Fennel’s memory may do so by making a donation to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Fennel leaves behind a legacy of wisdom, kindness, and quiet strength, and the many lives he touched will carry his example forward. May he rest in peace.
