Joseph Edwards

Joseph Edwards, 69, of St. Joseph, passed away unexpectedly, Tuesday, June 10, 2014 at his home.  Celebration of Life Services will be held 6:00 P.M. Saturday at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph.  Friends may visit with the family beginning at 4:30 P.M. Saturday at the funeral home.  Memorials may be made to the Humane Society of Southwest Michigan.  Those wishing to sign Joe’s Memory Book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Joe was born September 11, 1944 in New York City, to Frank and Anna (Gennaro) Edwards; the youngest of six sons.  Joe and Marion Zanona met in New York and were married on June 2, 1973 in St. Joseph.  Joe and Marion celebrated 41 years of marriage last week. Joe started his career by working in his older brother’s construction company in New York.  But after he married and moved to Michigan, he developed a joy for trucking.  In 1980 he purchased a flatbed truck to haul steel dies for local tool and die shops.  That is when J.E.T. (Joseph Edwards Truck) Leasing was born. But Joe’s true passion was cooking, so in 1998 he opened Primo Catering, Inc.  He catered primarily for the DANK in Benton Harbor, of which he was a long-time member.  He catered weddings for up to 300 people and provided food for DANK events.  He loved the rush, the cooking and making people happy! Joe most proudly developed two patents for anti-theft devices in the 1970’s.  When Joe retired in 2010, he now had time again to rekindle his electronic skills, drawing schematics and making circuit prototypes.  He was happy for hours on the computer doing what he enjoyed. Joe is survived by his loving wife, Marion; his beautiful children of whom he was most proud, Robert Joseph Edwards of St. Joseph and Mandi Michele Edwards of Baroda; and four brothers: Frank (Joan) Edwards of New York State; Harvey (Jeannie) Edwards and Dominic Edwards, both of California; and Anthony (Margaret) Edwards of Florida.  He was preceded in death by his infant brother, Pauley Edwards, and his parents. Marion, Mandi and Rob will miss Joe every day forever.  Chessy and Rusty, Joe’s feline companions, already sense his absence.