Don was born on May 20, 1934, in Banner, Illinois, to Dewey and Marguerite (Rosa) Edwards of Monterey, Illinois.
On June 26, 1955, Don married the love of his life, Shirley (Whitmore) Edwards, in Canton. They were preparing to celebrate their 71st wedding anniversary together. Shirley survives.
Also surviving are his daughter, Betsy (Dan) Taylor of Canton; his son, Bruce (Jean) Edwards of Canton; his brother, Bill (Beverly) Edwards of Bloomington, Illinois; and his sister, Nancy Lingenfelter of Chillicothe, Illinois. He also leaves behind six grandchildren: Erin (Scott) Slack, Jason (Sarah) Anderson, Cari (Kenny) Miller, Tyler (Stacey) Edwards, Katie (Kyle) James, and Maggie (Jake) Chenoweth; and twelve great-grandchildren: Logan (Tori) Anderson, Nolan, Casey, Chloe, Glen, Maeve, Haddon, Micah, Noah, Cooper, and twins Sophie and Taylor.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his daughter, Teresa Anderson; his son-in-law, Donnie Anderson; his sisters, Vivian Thesfield and Norma Watkins; and his brothers, Price Edwards, Dewey Edwards Jr., and Richard Edwards.
Following high school, Don briefly worked at Caterpillar and Little Sister Coal Mine before earning his barber’s license in the early 1960s. He worked at White Court Barber Shop in Canton and later purchased the business, serving the community as a barber for 57 years before retiring at the age of 81.
Don dedicated much of his life to public service. From 1968 to 1978, he served as alderman for Canton’s Fourth Ward. In 1981, he was elected Mayor of Canton and was re-elected four consecutive times, serving a total of five terms and 20 years as mayor.
During his tenure, Don and the City Council guided Canton through significant economic challenges, including the closure of the International Harvester plant and the loss of nearly 2,000 jobs, the closing of several area mines, and major layoffs by Caterpillar and other employers. Through these difficult times, they worked tirelessly to keep Canton moving forward by maintaining city streets, strengthening the police and fire departments, improving water and sewer systems, continuing municipal trash collection, and overseeing numerous other city improvements.
In 1989, Don and his staff partnered with the State of Illinois and Governor “Big” Jim Thompson to attract new businesses to the area, including the Illinois River Correctional Center, which initially employed 400 people. He also led the efforts to construct the gazebo and iconic clock tower in Jones Park and played a key role in the cleanup of the former International Harvester site following the devastating 1997 fire.
Don loved Canton deeply and devoted his life to serving its citizens.
Outside of his public service, Don enjoyed hunting and fishing with friends, his son, son-in-law, and grandchildren. He was an avid mushroom hunter and enjoyed the occasional deer hunt. He loved cheering on the Chicago Bears and treasured spending time with family and friends. One of his greatest joys was spending Saturday evenings with Shirley and their friends at the Canton Moose, where they enjoyed dancing together.
The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Kenneth Krock and his staff, the wonderful caregivers in the Graham Hospital Emergency Department, and the nurses from Spoon River Home Health Service and Willow Ridge Hospice for their compassionate care.
The family also wishes to especially thank Betsy, Bruce, Jean, Dan, Maggie, Erin, Jason, and Sarah for their “Project Main Street” care rotation for both Don and Shirley, which allowed them to remain in their home together for so many years.
A private funeral service will be held. Memorial contributions may be made to South Park Methodist Church.
Don’s family will forever cherish his love, wisdom, devotion, and the many memories he leaves behind. His legacy of service, kindness, and dedication to his family and community will continue to inspire all who knew and loved him.
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