‘He always did the right thing’
Memorial services planned for Nick Edwards, town social worker, educator
GREENWICH — A memorial service will be held later this winter for Charles Nicholas Edwards III, a longtime educator in the mental health field and a social worker with the town of Greenwich.
Edwards, known to friends as “Nick,” died Nov. 6 at the age of 76 in Fairfield, Iowa, where he maintained a retirement home. He was splitting his time between Iowa and Greenwich, said his wife,
Christine Larson Edwards.
His widow said he helped many people over the course of a long career in social services, as well as working with young people.
“He had tremendous character, he always did the right thing, helping everybody. A positive, uplifting, wonderful person,” she said. “And he had a great sense of humor.”
Edwards had a deep interest in psychology; he found that the practice of transcendental meditation, a form of meditation based on the repetition of a specific word, a “mantra,” could alleviate a range of mental-health problems and lead to a more productive life, his wife said. A certified practitioner of transcendental meditation, he ran a TM center in Darien for many years.
He was born Dec. 3, 1945, and raised in Greenwich. Though relatively short, Edwards became the quarterback of the Greenwich football team for two years, leading the Cardinals to winning seasons, including an 8-0 record in 1962. Edwards later played football at
Trinity College.
Edwards earned a master’s degree at Kansas State University and completed the course work there for a Ph.D. He worked for nearly 30 years in the Greenwich Department of Human Services, as a caseworker at the Nathaniel Witherell and in other capacities. He also taught psychology at the Maharishi International University.
He married Christine Larson in 1987.
Edwards served on the Representative Town Meeting and was president of the Greenwich Kiwanis Club. He was active in the Boy Scouts and Christ Church.
Beside his wife, of Greenwich, he is survived by a son, Charles Nicholas Edwards IV, of Dallas, Texas; and a brother, Rick
Edwards.
A memorial service, to be held at Christ Church, is being planned in coming weeks.