Mr. Edward Benjamin Vance, 63, of Craddockville, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, with his family by his side. Born Oct. 29, 1960, in Orange, N.J., he was the son of the late Martha Smith Vance.
Whether you called him by his given name, “Ed,” “Jersey Ed,” or “Vern,” you’d always get the same “down-to-earth, tell ‘em like it is,” person. Following high school, Ed enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was assigned to the aircrew egress team, where he found his first love working on F16s.
Upon honorable discharge, he began a career as a commercial waterman. He lobstered off the coasts of New Jersey and New York, later moving to the Eastern Shore of Virginia, where he crabbed in the Chesapeake Bay. After many decades hauling pots, Ed found his true passion in woodworking.
Beyond his talents, Ed frequently gave back to his community. He was a volunteer firefighter in Highlands, N.J., and he coached baseball for Central Accomack Little League and Broadwater Academy. He enjoyed giving back where he could, and over the years several of his woodworking pieces were donated for fundraising auctions to benefit area nonprofits.
Ed is survived by his wife of nearly 40 years, Marianne Vance; their children, Kyle Vance and his wife, Victoria, and Kaitlyn Vance and her wife, Hana Fisher, all of Richmond; cherished granddaughter, Hattie Vance; a sister; several nieces and nephews; and his sidekick, Sadie Sawdust, the “Monster” Doberman.
In addition to his mother, Ed was predeceased by his brother, Ronald Phillip Vance and his beloved Doberman, Sammie.
The family invites friends to join them for a celebration of Ed’s life at Broadwater Academy’s Fine Arts Center on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, at 2 p.m. There will be a time for sharing memories for those who wish to do so.
Contributions in Ed’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, https://stjude.org/donate or to Shriners Hospitals for Children, ATTN: Processing Center, P.O. Box 947765, Atlanta, GA 30394, http://donate.lovetotherescue.org
Memory tributes may be shared with the family at
www.williamsfuneralhomes.com
Arrangements are by the Williams-Onancock Funeral Home.
