Holly Edwards

Holly Edwards passed away on Saturday, January 21, 2023, at the age of 40 feeling the same way she always did: cold. Whether sitting in the back yard on a cloudless, windless day in 95-degree heat plus humidity or relaxing on a beautiful beach in August, Holly could always be found shivering under a blanket.  Born on Saturday, January 15, 1983, to Thomas Joseph and Kathryn Brosnan Edwards, Holly made her very first grand entrance into a hospital room filled with too many doctors.  Born with spina bifida and struggling to live, the doctors believed that she would not survive and prepared her parents for the worst.  But even at birth, Holly was a strong, obstinate person and she lived 40 wonderful, exciting years just to prove those doctors wrong.

Holly was a very accomplished bowler. She bowled with the Special Olympics, winning several medals, and she could still roll strikes and spares at low quality bowling alleys whose equipment was not at the caliber her mother preferred.  Holly climbed treacherous, rocky cliffs; skied dangerously fast down mountains; hiked the Appalachian Trail; and tubed in the turbulent Ohio River.  The Harlem Globe Trotters taught her to spin basketballs on her fingers, and she unintentionally stalked Pete Rose, Jr. with her father.

Holly always brought her camera with her, insisting on taking pictures with her camera, even though her photography skills could often be found lacking.  She enjoyed looking through pictures and could waste hours admiring them. You always knew when she viewed your pictures because you suddenly received over 100 Facebook notifications at once. She loved listening to music everywhere she went and enjoyed watching movies and television series-especially those with “house” in the title because she was such a home body. 

She went on many adventures with her family, using her skills to upgrade concert tickets to the pit in front of the stage and sneaking them into the Epcot ball in Disney World to bypass ginormous lines.  She watched the groundhog in Punxsutawney find his shadow and was locked in a pillory in Salem for her witchcraft.  She spent most of her summers at Hilton Head, helping her siblings train for their fall sports by allowing them to push her through the thick, heavy, very hot sand and up and down stairs and ramps, and where she was carried to and from the water like the queen she was.

Her quiet disposition made others believe she was sweet and docile, but those who knew her feared being the recipient of one of her dry, clever jabs.  She was always quick to tell people how her new shoes made her feet feel and that she was not actually ready to “walk on”.  Even though her worst trait was being so loud and talkative, she was unafraid to say what she meant.  That’s just how she rolled.

Holly will be deeply missed by everyone who was fortunate enough to meet her.

Holly is survived by her devoted parents Thomas Joseph and Kathryn (Brosnan) Edwards; her loving sisters, Kelly (Ian) Cape and April Edwards; her brother Benjamin Ray (Kristin) Edwards and children; her wonderful nephew and niece Harrison Patrick and Mallory Cape; and countless aunts, uncles and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Joseph Donald Edwards, John Patrick Brosnan, and Joyce (Morris) Brosnan.

Her visitation will be held on Friday, January 27, 2023, from 4:00 until 8:00 at Arlington Memorial Gardens Funeral Home.  The funeral will be held on Saturday, January 28 at 10:30 at Arlington Memorial Gardens Lakeside Mausoleum Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in her name to the Special Olympics.