Meet the Edwards! Chuck and Kitty Edwards moved to Kirkwood in July of 2022. Chuck was born in Birmingham but grew up in Auburn, AL. His father served as the Dean of Admissions for Auburn University for 40 years. One of four children, Chuck received a scholarship to attend Phillips Exeter Academy, a prestigious boarding school known for its rigorous education. Although studious, Chuck was also incredibly athletic, as he played tennis and lacrosse. He went on to play lacrosse at Harvard and for a semi-pro team called the Pennsylvania Lacrosse Club. At Harvard, he was also in the Air Force ROTC, and he went on to serve 14 years in the military: two years on active duty and twelve in the Air National Guard.
Kitty was born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama. She had a wonderful life in Montgomery with her parents and one sibling. She attended Auburn University. Kitty always enjoyed swimming and tennis, the latter of which she played until maybe 10 or 12 years ago.
Chuck and Kitty were introduced by Kitty’s cousin when Chuck moved to Montgomery to work for First National Bank. After a beautiful courtship and engagement, the two were married in 1961. Chuck continued to work at First National Bank, and he also taught economics and accounting courses for the University of Alabama, the Banking School of the South in Baton Rouge, and for George Washington University Command and Staff College. A few years later, a group of friends and business colleagues asked Chuck to run a small bank they had purchased in Kentucky. Chuck and Kitty moved to Owensboro, KY, where they had their first two children: Charles Wesley “Wes” Edwards, III, and James “Jimmy” Sellers Edwards.
After another banking opportunity led them to Florence, AL, where their third son, William, was born, the Edwards family moved back to Kentucky – this time, to Louisville. They raised their three boys in Louisville. “We had a beautiful life in Kentucky,” Kitty shared. “Before we left Louisville, we bought a piece of property with a cabin on it back in Florence on the river. We leased the property back to the older couple we bought it from, but when the kids were old enough to enjoy it with their families, we moved to the lake.”
Chuck and Kitty enjoy spending time with their three boys. They are incredibly proud of their grandchildren, and they are expecting their first great-grandchild this month. “We are so honored that they are naming the baby after Chuck,” Kitty said. “He will be Charles Wesley Edwards, V, but we’re going to call him Charlie.”
Their son, Wes, and his wife, Lynnell, live in Louisville and have two sons: Charles IV and Jasper. Jimmy and his wife, Marguerite, live in Pawleys Island, SC, with their son, Morgan. William and Liz are local to Birmingham. They have three children: Will, Lydia, and Mary.
At Kirkwood, Chuck and Kitty can be found staying active. “Chuck walks outside religiously, every morning,” Kitty shared. “Ninety percent of the time, I’m with him. I also enjoy going to exercise classes.”
They are also encouraged by the abundance of activities available at Kirkwood. “The calendars are jam-packed with good things,” Kitty said. “You can’t help but find something on there that you enjoy doing.”