A memorial mass for Steven Odell Edging will be held Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 10:30 AM at St. Anthony Catholic Church. A reception will follow in the Life Center. Mr. Edging was born on May 25, 1944 in Springfield, TN to the late Turney Odell and Margaret Callis Edging. He passed away April 27, 2020, at Huntsville Hospital.
When Steve was in college he played football at Mississippi State where he was coached by Johnny Majors and transferred to MTSU where he played football for Coach Boots Donnelly. Steve attended Alabama A&M University where he earned his Masters degree. Coach Edging was a football and basketball coach at Lincoln County High School and coached the 1982 Lincoln County Falcons state champion football team. He was a member of the St. Anthony Catholic Church where he was the song leader. Steve was an on air personality at WEKR AM radio. Steve was an accomplished guitar player, singer, and he also enjoyed golfing.
He is survived by his son, Shiloh (April) Edging of Murfreesboro; daughter, Stephanie (James) Sullivan of Fayetteville; sister, Gloria (Llyode) Creekmore of Nashville; and five grandchildren.
Higgins Funeral Home is honored to be serving the family of Mr. Steven Odell Edging.
We are so sorry for your loss.He was a great man, teacher and coach.
He was my high school basebal coach.he was a good. man.
My sincerest sympathies to the family.
Steve was my teacher, Coach and good Friend!
Blessed with a very kind demeanor and soft pleasant voice accentuated by years of smoking. Unlike me, I can’t recall Steve ever actually saying a real curse word.
Gwen and I were proud he was able to coach our youngest son Cooper and become close friends to him.
He was a good man who will be missed and never forgotten.
Very respectfully,
Scott Shelton
Steve was an amazing father, grandfather, teacher, and coach. I have so many memories of growing up at Stephanie’s house and going to the football games. He made a positive impact on so many over the course of his lifetime, and he will continue to do so through Shiloh, Stephanie, and their families. My prayers and love are with you all.
To the family
I am sorry for your loss. I went to LCHS when Coach Edging was coaching. He was a nice man. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Coach Edging was the Football Coach when I was a student at LCHS. He was such a kind person and I know he touched the lives of many people during his life.
Ezell and Raby (how’d he get in there?).
One of the 75 Fayetteville team of coaches who taught us to be men.
OSKIE!
To this day I think of Coach Edging and our Sophomore Biology class when I hear the birds singing in the spring. We had an interesting diversion of identifying bird calls for class, and the memory always makes me smile. He was a great teacher who I highly respected. Bless you Coach and your family. As long as the birds sing, I will remember you with fondness.
Shiloh and Stephanie Our prayers are with you at this time!! We wish we could come see you and offer our condolences!! We are all grieved for the loss of your dad and it is good to read all of the tributes!! Like others have mentioned,your dad definitely made a difference in the lives of students,friends,and acquaintances!! We will all miss him and may God comfort you as only he can!! We all enjoyed our time with your dad and his dedication and love for youth made him a great educator,coach ,and friend!!! Lincoln County is a better place because of your dad!!
We will always remember Steve as such a kind & caring person !! We got to know him at the Patrick and my husband visited the radio station where Steve worked in March ! Coach Steve really enjoyed showing off the radio equipment & explaining how things work there!! It was a day we will never forget !!
Shiloh, Steph and Gloria, I am so sorry for your loss. Coach Steve was a good friend for the last ten years and a good walking buddy at the Patrick. I heard all about his family over the years and feel like I know you. He was such a nice person and so much fun. We spent our “workout” time teasing and laughing together. I was happy to give him his very own Hallmark Christmas Movie Watcher sweatshirt. He loved it. His loss is huge and his legacy is profound. Sending prayers to you all and to his Mom. I am missing him and our frequent text check-ins.
He was a great coach. Sorry for your loss
So glad I got to know him. He coached me in the mid 70’s. Great coach and man. He touched so many young lives in a positive way. Thank you coach. Rest in Peace.
Our best memories of Coach Edging was what a great fast pitch softball player he was. He was one of the best Shortstops in Lincoln County. When he got up to bat, 90% of the time it was a home run. He joined the Howell softball team and played with members of both of our families. We were just kids at the time, but we thought he was awesome. He was competitive, but cool and collected. We can still see him out on the field and hear his great whistle. When we made it to High School, he still remembered these Howell kids. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the family.
I’m so glad I was able to reconnect with Coach Edging over the last couple of years. Just like the days I had him in class and as a player, he was very encouraging, kind, and supportive. He was the first coach that taught me some of the finer points of playing football – knowledge that served me well through college and as a coach. Like so many others are sharing, he made a positive impact on me in a special time of life. We were still practicing at the old CHS the spring of my freshmen year. As freshmen, we were excited to get our number assigned. Before I could request a number, he threw me my 22 Jersey, the number my older brother had worn — it really meant a lot to me. Shiloh and Stephanie, I’m sorry we can’t be there in person, but I hope the many, many folks from the 70’s to today sharing our love for your dad has given you great comfort.
Great coach and A good friend he would always talk about the 1975 ctc team most of all the ass whipping we put on Father Ryan Football Team
One of the most memorable nights of my life coz it was so cold and no onen in Tennessee toughtnwencould win….no one except our coaches.
Stephanie, very sorry for your loss
Great coach!….great teacher!….of biology….and life. Rest In Peace coach. Thanks for being a great coach, teacher, friend, and neighbor!
Steve was a great friend to Ms. Pat and they taught P.E. together at Highland Rim Elementary. He was a great coach, teacher, and friend. I always enjoyed talking with Steve. Prayers for his family.
Coach Edging was a special man to me all of my life. I remember him being over at our house a lot when I was little and he was coaching with Dad. He even babysat me. Bless his heart. Later, he was my teacher, football coach, and I got the honor of coaching with him for many years at LCHS. Shiloh and Stephanie my family and I are so sorry for your loss. I am going to miss Coach, but he will always be a part of me as he will be a part of the many lives he touched.
Loved playing DB for coach Blade ! So many fond memories of this man , loved his smile , 82 state championship season so special! Learned so much from his coaching , still running his coverages and calls to this day . Prayers go out to family ! Will truly be missed .
Prayers for the family. So sorry for your loss.
Enjoyed playing for you. You always had pleasant things to say when I saw you. You will be missed by many. RIP Coach!
Shiloh & Stephanie,
Your father was an outstanding athlete and defensive coach. I remember him announcing LCHS basketball games on the radio. He did a great job announcing them and I listened to many. He was always so nice and kind to me whether dealing with football or with something at WEKR. I pray God will surround you with grace and peace during this time.
So sorry to hear of the passing of Coach Edging. He was my Biology teacher in 10th grade which by the way was one of my favorites. He was a very good teacher and always went out of his way to make class understandable and fun to be in. Prayers for comfort and peace to the entire family as y’all go through this sad time.
Shiloh and Steph. There’s nothing new that Dwight or I could possibly add to the wonderful accolades I’ve been reading. You shared your father with a lot of people. What a legacy he’s left behind. The best thing he ever did was you two. He was a teacher, a coach and in these later years a friend. I sure wish we could have a big hug, but one of these days! I know your memories will sustain you during these difficult days ahead. We love you.
Stephanie, So sorry to hear about your dad. Love you and will be praying for you and your family.
Steve was always a great person to be around & will certainly be missed.
you were an excellent coach, and an excellent teacher in Central High! you always knew when me and Mellissa were goofing off. you left so many memories. heaven gained an angel … our thoughts and prayers are with the family!
So sad to hear of Coach Edging’s passing. He was my Biology teacher in 10th grade. Super nice guy. I know his family well. Love to them all.
LCHS- Class of 87
I remember Coach Edging telling us that there was no shame in being ignorant, because it is curable. But if some one said you were stupid, that was another matter. I’ll never for get him or that lesson. Great guy.
Worked with Steve doing radio stuff, but mostly he was our song leader at church. I heard him say several times, “I’m the only song leader in the world who can’t read music!” But, he did great, and was always a kind, gentle man. We will miss him greatly! The Jacks family
I worked with Steve at LCHS years ago. He was a great person to work with, He had many good qualities that made him a good fellow teacher, a good, caring coach, and a good man. We have lost a good man. God bless all of his family.
Praying for Coach’s family. He taught us about a great many academic and life lessons. Fly high Coach Edging, I’m sure the birds are singing in Heaven today.
Bob ( CHS ‘71 ) & Cindy ( CHS ‘76) Dunivan.
David Pyles Fungi!!! In a tone we might know from the early ’80s and my rearranging a bit ‘He Blinded Me with Science’. So Biology was not so bad. Studying bird calls on an LP. How could anyone soar without this knowledge? How could we have lived 15 years of our lives without knowing these sounds that were around us? We dissected frogs that were captured at a local farm. Yeah they were in a tub in the back of the room. Did we place them under ether to eliminate their enduring the pain? Well, I think holding them down was quite important. The challenge of pricking my own finger aided the discussion of human circulatory systems and discovering our blood types. Genetics well here is where a country boy can soar having cattle and knowing the Angus can mix its strengths with the Hereford to produce steaks in the freezer. Coach handed me the results of my genetics test in Biology and he stated this was the first time anyone had scored 100. Pretty special hearing the words earlier that the class might find this subject and its test most challenging. I realized later in life the gift of a coach and then I gained the understanding in my own kids and in the community they grew up in. I never learned more than when I spent time with my boys as they dreamed in the back yard throwing the baseball and the months of squatting over home plate. A bit of pain in my knees that felt they might invert to allow them to hinge in a very bad direction. I really like the name Edging and it fits a coach that seemed to have “iced tea” running through him. I just never mastered the cool headed competitive demeanor that I saw in my BIO coach. In fact, I was a bit more edgy and greatly respect Coach’s temperaments around his competitive nature. I coached youth ice hockey and love to snow ski but I think the edge that I learned to carve out in this world might be shared with Coach Edging. Life is filled with a toughness but we can take an “Edge” to those hard surfaces that we navigate as life and capture science to control what we have grown to understand. We might just show that we can carve out those “rooster tails” born out of a turn in life. We can demonstrate what we understand making the gravity’s of life press powder into the air. Just like we live life. A little bit more flair carved out in the side of a mountain. I think Coach Edging lived life with a bit of flair and I admire him.
Coach Edging was a great PE teacher at Highland Rim. I enjoyed subbing for him.Enjoyed talking to him when I sub for Pat.So sorry for your lost.Your family is in our prayers.
Lived this man as a coach but mostly after graduating he became a great friend. Will be missed by the entire community. One if the foursome Big Es if Central High coaching staff. Prayers to the family;
R.I.P. Blade. Had a lot of coaches all the way through college but you were always my favorite!
What a good friend Steve was. Will be dearly missed by all. May you Rest In Peace!
I remember Coach Edging as being a great football coach and his picture in the 1972 yearbook jumping up in the school hallway and planting his foot on the wall over his head. Rest easy coach.
Steve will missed so much by all of us at Saint Anthony Catholic Church. I taught with him and loved him. I will pray for you. Love, Martha Wolf
Steve and I joined our choir at St Anthony Church 20 years ago and was such a joy singing with him. Such a loss and will miss him terribly.
Will misss you as a neighbor and will definitely miss your smile!!
I am so sorry to hear of Steve’s passing. Prayers for the family.
Steve was such a kind man. He lived at my mothers house for awhile when he first came to Fayetteville. He was so sweet and caring to her. So sorry for your loss, Shiloh and Stephanie.
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. Blade was a great man and a dear friend. Coach will be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.
I am sorry to hear of your loss. Everyone loved Coach Edging. Prayers for His Family.
Steve was a coaching adversary since I was representing Franklin County. Yet, he became a friend due to his friendly demeanor and manners. His smile and handshake was always welcome when we played LCHS. I am saddened by his passing. He was a gentleman!
I never had him as a coach or teacher, but when I was a student at the “new high school” his friendly smile always brightened my day. I am sorry for your loss.
Was so sorry to hear this! Your father was a good coach, teacher and friend to many. He will be sorely missed!
Our family thought a lot of Coach Edging! I was fortunate to have him as a biology teacher in 87. I will never forget all the bird calls! He was an assistant basketball coach for my husband around 1985, and assistant football coach to my son 2013-16. He was a wonderful friend and example to each of us and will always hold a special place in our hearts. We are so sorry for your loss and our prayers are with you!
Loved Coach Edging! He taught me
Biology in 1987, was my husband’s assistant basketball coach in 85-86, and coached our son in football from 2013-2015! He was a wonderful friend and example to each of us and will always hold a special place in our hearts. We are so sorry for you loss! Prayers for the family.
Coach Edging was one of our coaches when we were state champs my senior year. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Stephanie (James), Shiloh (April), and families, We’re so very sorry for the great loss that you have suffered. Steve was a great teacher and coach and our children loved him as both. He was highly respected at LCHS, and I’m so glad that we were fellow colleagues. May each of you find comfort and peace by allowing your hearts to overflow with precious memories in the weeks and months ahead. We will continue our thoughts and prayers for you. We love you all! Wanda and Bob Williams and Naomi Wallace
Steve was such a joyful, engaging, and warmth-infusing person. We will miss him. His absence at church will be ponderous. His presence in Heaven will be beautiful.
My memories of coach Edging are from playing football in 1978 and 1979 for the Central High School Tigers. Also, he taught a night biology course at Motlow. He was one of the few that captured my heart as young kid and throughout the years. So sorry for your loss.
I’m so sad to hear about his passing. He has lived in my neighborhood for a long time. We always talked when I would walk my dog. He was both of my girls PE coach at Highland Rim. I sure will miss seeing him. He was such a nice and kind man.
Sweet Stephanie and Sweet Shiloh, We wish we could put our arms around you and squeeze. We love each of you and we loved your daddy. Steve meant so much to both of us over the many years of our friendship. Jack wanted me to tell you that it was such an honor to coach with Steve for so many years; but, even more of a privilege to be close friends and to love him.
Our lives have been so much better because Coach Steve Edging had a large part in making them better. We will miss you, Steve. Thank you for all the memories. We love you.
Coach Edging (Coach Blade) was my Defensive Backs Coach and Defensive Coordinator my entire time at LCHS. I loved playing for him and is one of the biggest reasons I got into coaching. He coached each one of us the same no matter their ability and deeply cared for his players. I never wanted to let him down. He had a unique style that will never be duplicated! Love You Coach!
So sad to hear this. I always think of him when I recognize or can’t recognize a bird call because he made us learn them in Biology. I sat in the front row and he often asked me how I was doing. Sending prayers for his friends and family.
Coach Edging was one of my favorite teachers. He made Biology class the best. Sorry for your loss of your dad and the community’s loss of a great educator and friend .
Lenace Hyde – LCHS class of 1988
Sorry to here about Coach Edging he was a god one
I’m sorry for your loss my condolences goes out to out to Shiloh and shephine
He was the best teacher that I ever had and he will be missed he was a wonderful great man
He was a great Linclon County man although not born and raised here. RIP Coach.
My favorite DB coach. You will be missed.. R.I.P Coach Blade…
Great Coach and teacher at LCHS! Also great neighbor for many years! Prayers to his family!
Steve and I coached together in Little League years ago He was the “best” with the kids, always teaching and caring.
I am great full to have known him and counted him a friend.
We are so sorry for your loss. Coach was such a sweet man. He cared for his students. He never meet a stranger. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Coach was a great man and a great coach and teacher. I loved working with him at HRS. I sure will miss him driving by my house waving and blowing his car horn. My deepest sympathy to you all.
Coach came into Shoney’s everyday and sat at table 21. Half and half tea and had his salad and bowl of soup. He loved that potatoe soup. He made my day every time he walked through those doors with an uplifting comment and a hug. I will miss him dearly. Prayers for his family from all of us.
Found memories of Coach Edging. I pray the Lord will comfort his family.
My condolences to the family. Coach Edging will be missed by all!
Steve was a dear friend and all around a great guy. It was an honor to teach with him and to call him friend. We had some awesome times both at school and at the lake. My thoughts and prayers are with his family❤️❤️❤️
Shiloh & Stephanie,
I don’t know if you remember me, but I babysat both of you when I was in high school. Your dad was one of a kind! We had lots of laughs growing up to in the same neighborhood. Your parents were not only good neighbors but also good friends. I will always look back on those years with many fond memories. I’m sorry for your loss. Steve will certainly be missed. You both are in my prayers. Sincerely, Jane (Shaddy) Osgood
I woke up most Saturday mornings at coaches house after spending the night with Shiloh. Coach was always running us here and there. RIP Coach
Great LC Biology teacher! He cared about his students. Thankful to have Coach Edging in my education. Stephanie and Shiloh, please know I am thinking of you and yours at this time and in the days ahead. I will be praying for you and your families.
Absolutely one of my favorite coaches at Central. I have great memories of his coaching, teaching, and making men out of boys. He was a wonderful roll model. A very special person. His memory will always bring a smile on my face!
Very sad to hear! Coach Edging was one of my coaches in high school and it was a honor to coach with him! We had great moments together and I will cherish always! God Bless the family.
Love Always,
Coach P
Great coach and man. Will be missed
Shiloh and Stephanie,
Your father was a special teacher to us that had him the first year he came to the high school to teach Science and coach. He was always kind and respected. So glad I got to have him. I am so sorry for the loss of your father.
So sad to hear of your loss. Steve was a great friend for many years. He will be missed. May God give you comfort and peace in the days ahead.
Coach was such a sweet guy, he came into shoneys and always got a tea and salad bar. He will be greatly missed.
Coach was a wonderful man! I loved having him as a friend at Highland Rim. He had a smile for everyone he metHe will be missed.
I taught with Steve at LCHS when I first moved to Lincoln County. He was a good person and will be missed by all that knew him.
Coach Edging was a great basketball coach too. He was our girls defensive coach at Central working under Coach Ellis. He will be missed. Praying for his family.
Veronica Ray King
CHS class of 72
So sorry to hear of the passing of Coach Edging. Always treated me well and taught me so much about football when in high school. Prayers to the family.
I SURE WILL MISS COACH EDGING HE WAS A GOOD MAN
Sorry sad to hear this.. You will be missed at D&M Market.. RIP MY FRIEND.. PRAYERS TO THE FAMILY..
I had the pleasure of playing for Coach Edgings (Blade) in 1998 for the Falcons football team. He was a fun coach and we laughed a lot, he made it fun. My condolences to the family, he will be missed.
RIP MY FRIEND.. WE WILL MISS SEEING YOU AT D&M MARKET.. PRAYERS FOR ALL THE FAMILY..
It is hard to put into one post how much I respected and how much I enjoyed working with Coach Edging. While I was in high school, he took a group of us to visit my first collage campus. He was my teacher, my Future Teacher’s Of America sponsor, and later my my co-worker. H always made a difference. We talked often as he moved from full time teacher to part time coach. Always, I enjoyed knowing he was there working with our coaches and our students on the field. May God the entire family.
Steve was a very kind man and very helpful to me in our time at LCHS. He broadcast every single one of our games over those 7 years. Our sympathy to Shiloh and Stephanie and the entire family. God bless each of you.
I am so sorry to hear of Coach Edging passing. He will be missed by so many. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and many many friends.
Steve will be missed in so many ways by many people here in Fayetteville and Lincoln County. He was a good friend. Prayers to his family.
Deepest sympathies to the Edging family. Coach was a wonderful man. Went to church with him many years ago , and was lucky to have him as a teacher at LCHS. Prayers for you all 🙏
Coach Edging was a great teacher, coach, and person. He was there for me when I had a rough patch in my life and was always like a second dad. I spent a lot of time at his house with Shiloh. My prayers go out to his family during this time and he will be missed greatly!
Rest Easy Coach. You will be missed by many🙏🙏🙏🙏
So very sorry. I was his number one fan. Could not have asked for a better coaching buddy nor friend. I’m hurting so bad for his loved ones. He was a part of my family and will be missed. Sorry I can’t personally deliver this message but my prayers are with you.
I will always have great memories of Coach Edging. My time on the LCHS football team ’79-’81 was special, and Coach Edging was a big part of that. Prayers for his family.
Sorry sorry for your lost.
Shiloh and Stephanie I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Steve. Steve was a great person. You all are in our thoughts and prayers.
He was so much fun at Central. I graduated in 1974. The main thing I remember is The E’s. Ellis, Edging, Evans, Edens. May of been one more but I can’t remember if it was. So sorry for the families loss.
He was a great coach and teacher.
Coach Edgings was such a nice man! Every time I would see him out anywhere he would always smile and speak! The world needs more people like him!
I am sure going to miss Steve. He was my coach, colleague and most of all my friend. He was always very kind and professional. Thank you Steve for being there and being a friend.
Stephanie, I am so sorry to hear of the passing of your father. He was a great coach and person. Prayers for you and your family.
Very sad time.
Steve will be missed by all who new him.
Prayers for his family.