Charlene Whitney Edwards

Charlene Whitney Edwards, age 63, wife of Richard Edwards, died peacefully at her home in Trappe on October 12, 2012, of cancer. Born in Pontiac, MI, on December 30, 1948, Charlene was the daughter of the late William Whitney and Charlotte Whitney Stevens. She grew up in Michigan and from the beginning her life was shaped and influenced by the arts and higher education. Her early years from preschool through fifth grade at the Roeper School in Bloomfield Hills, MI, where her mother taught, giving her an excellent start in her creative work. From the time Charlene was in sixth grade in Olivet, MI, she was organizing neighborhood children in her home to teach them both art classes in the basement as well as musical dance for later performances in her living room. She would charge her students just enough to get wigs or props that were too hard to make. Folding chairs were borrowed from Olivet College for the performances to be seen by parents and friends. She was also very active in community plays throughout high school. Both of Charlene's parents held graduate degrees in fine arts and were teachers. After pursuing and earning both an undergraduate and Master's degree in graphic design from Michigan State, Charlene went on to hold teaching positions at Michigan State, Miami of Ohio, and McNeese State. She also taught graphic design classes at Salisbury State University and Academy of Arts in Easton. Charlene left full-time teaching in 1985 to be with and to get married to her longtime friend, Richard Edwards, on the Eastern Shore. In their early years together, they lived on and sailed Wild Call, their beloved wooden yawl. Charlene founded Whitney Edwards graphic design studio in 1985. Charlene always lived her passion for design excellence, and was always striving to master the latest production and digital developments in the field of graphic design and corporate communications. She found great interest combining elements of fine graphic design with the latest digital production development. She was always pushing to stay ahead of the technology curve. Whitney Edwards became a much respected regional design and communications firm, counting many local and regional businesses and institutions among their longterm clients. Charlene was always interested in teaching student interns and mentoring students interested in graphic design and corporate communication. Charlene's graphic design work appeared in more than 30 noted graphic design publications. She designed a series of Architectural History books authored by noted Historian Paul Baker Touart. In addition to the visual expression of art, Charlene nourished a lifelong passion for dance. A practitioner of Ballet Modern and Jazz dance artistry, she was active with Dance Harrison Street studio. She took prominent roles in a variety of community initiatives, including Fashion for the Arts, Talbot Hospice, and the ACE Mentor Program. Prior to her passing, The Ace Monitor Program of the Eastern Shore established the Charlene Whitney Edwards scholarship. To be awarded annually, the scholarship will be granted to a student who has demonstrated creative and innovative strategy that embodies the spirit that Charlene brought to the ACE Mentoring Program. She is survived by her husband of 27 years, Richard; her mother, Charlotte Whitney Stevens of Olivet, MI; and her sister, Alice Whitney Webb of Worcester, MA. Memorial contributions may be made in Memory of Charlene Whitney Edwards to The Mid-Shore Community Foundation, ACE Mentor Program, 102 East Dover St., Easton, MD 21601. A memorial service will be held on Friday, October 19, 2012, at 2 p.m. at Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home, P.A., 200 S. Harrison St. in Easton, and later in Olivet, MI.

Charlene Whitney Edwards

December 30, 1948 - October 12, 2012