GLENBURN – Toni Edwards, 48, died Monday, March 15, 2010, after a brief illness. She was born Sept. 11, 1961, in Benton, Ill., the daughter of the Rev. Robert and Linda Edwards. Toni graduated from McKendree University, Lebanon, Ill., and later moved to the Bangor area. Toni worked at the laboratory and blood bank at Eastern Maine Medical Center for more than 23 years. She loved to fish, canoe and kayak, so living at the lake was ideal for her. Toni’s life was filled with family, friends and good stories about her past, especially about her grandparents. Toni was all about keeping life simple and enjoying each moment to its fullest. Toni had a reverence for life one rarely finds. Her passing has left a void in the community. Toni is survived by her beloved friend and companion, the Rev. Susan M. Davenport of Oakland; her parents of Mascoutah, Ill.; her twin sister, the Rev. Tena R. Bigham and her husband, Allen and their two children, Lucas and Emma, of Vergennes, Ill.; and another sister, Melody Evans and her husband, Frank and their two children, Stephanie and Ashley, of Mascoutah, Ill. She is also survived by the one big fish that always seemed to get away each summer. There will be two memorial services for Toni. The first will be held 1 p.m. Thursday, March 18, at Hammond Street Congregational Church, UCC, Bangor, with the Rev. Dr. Mark Doty and the Rev. Dr. Susan E. Davies presiding. A reception will be held afterward. A second memorial service will take place at a later date in Belleville, Ill. In lieu of flowers, donations in Toni’s name may be made to Bangor Humane Society, 693B Mount Hope Ave., Bangor, ME 04401 or CancerCare of Maine, care of Healthcare Charities, P.O. Box 931, Bangor, ME 04402. There will also be a memorial scholarship established in Toni’s name at McKendree University.
TONI K. EDWARDS
