Drew Vee Edwards

Drew Vee Edwards passed away peacefully the morning of June 29th, 2024, at home and attended by his beloved wife, Ruanda. He was 73. 

Vee was born December 11th, 1950, in Burley, Idaho to Irene Bennett Edwards and Drew V Edwards. He was the oldest of ten siblings. He was preceded in death by his mother and father; brothers Bennett Edwards, Parley Si Edwards, and Jason Altha; sisters Cindy Edwards, Lorna Stutz, and Parleen (Jimmy) Autry; and son Drew Edwards. He is survived by his wife, Ruanda Shepard; sons Micheal (Alexandria) Edwards and Zachary Edwards; daughters Rachel Sara Edwards, Courtney (Isaiah) Lovendahl, Eleni Antonia Stanley, and stepdaughter Miranda Carter (Ashton Snelgrove); nine grandchildren; brother Philip (Sheila) Edwards, Jeff Cody; sisters Ronda Amacher (Allen) Vanderpool, Rachel (Mike) Gordon, and Zoe Ann (Todd) Holton; and many nieces and nephews.

Vee graduated from Ben Lomond High School in 1969. He married Diane Williamson on December 26, 1969. Vee was drafted into the United States Marine Corps in 1970. He served in the Vietnam War from 1970 to 1971. He entered the Marines as a private E-1 and rose to the rank of corporal E-4, serving as an artilleryman. Vee and Diane had five children: Drew, Zachary, Michael, Sara, and Courtney. They later divorced. Vee's youngest daughter, Eleni, was born to Laura Stanley. 

Vee married his beautiful wife and soulmate, Ruanda Shepard, on October 12th, 1991, and became the stepfather to her daughter, Miranda Carter. He later practically adopted his stepson-in-law, Ashton Snelgrove, as his gunsmithing apprentice.

Vee attended Utah Technical College and completed four quarters of Machine Shop Practice from 1979 to 1980. Most of Vee's career was spent as a manual machinist. He also worked in the grocery industry, and traveled across the country working on smokestacks with his brothers Si and Philip. He had many fond memories from those years, ready to torment Philip and Sheila with old anecdotes given the slightest chance. 

Vee was an avid sportsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing, and camping throughout his life. He was a talented gunsmith, who also did reloading, and bench rest shooting. He spent several years selling at gun shows and made lifelong friends, chief among them Gerold Mellor and his cousin Mike "Alfy" Blaney.

He taught his kids, grandkids, nephews, and nieces to shoot, hunt, and fish. He also taught his stepson-in-law, Ashton, gunsmithing, and introduced him to bench rest shooting. 

The pandemic fostered an informal shooting club amongst Vee, Ashton, "Cousin Mike", Ryan, Adrien, and other friends made along the way. They enjoyed many early mornings in the Utah west desert, in all seasons, shooting targets at long range.  

Vee's humor, wisdom, extensive musical and literary appreciation, empathy, friendship, and mentorship brought color, light, and depth into the lives of those who knew and loved him. To paraphrase one of his favorite books, Piers Anthony’s On a Pale Horse, Vee may be out of the game, but the game is not better off without him. Life did make an investment in him, though, that definitely paid off. 

A memorial and inurnment will be held for Vee at the Utah Veterans Cemetery & Memorial Park in Bluffdale, Utah, on Friday, July 26th at 1:00 P.M.