Dr. Curtis Drew Edwards
1944 - 2022
It is with intense sadness to tell you the love of my life, Dr. Drew Edwards, died peacefully on Wednesday, July 20, 2022. He fell while walking in our small neighborhood and died from complications from Alzheimer’s and a brain injury. He helped so many families and children as a Clinical Child Psychologist for 50 years and as an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Wake Forest University for 40 years. He was so loved and respected by all who knew him. He was a graduate of Furman University (1966), Wake Forest University (1968), Florida State University(1971) and Internship from Duke University Medical Center(1972). We will miss him so very much. I, Barbara Self Edwards, cherish the 52 years of marriage we shared. His daughters Christi Cobler, Stephanie Edwards and granddaughter Morgan Cobler were the apple of his eye. Other surviving family are Ann Loftis of Greensboro, NC, Judy and Jerry Spivey, and Rebecca Spivey of Richmond, Va. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Drew was such a wonderful, kind man. I am truly blessed to have known him and deeply saddened to learn of his death. Heaven has certainly gained a special Angel! Keeping Barbara and all his family in my thoughts and prayers. Sending much love!💕
Drew was an excellent colleague and a terrific friend, one of the kindest people I have ever met. Every conversation with him was interesting and fun, and he always made the day a bit better. I will really miss seeing him in Greene Hall.
Dear Barbara, I worked with Drew at Commonwealth Psychiatric Center in the 1970s and early 1980s. I always appreciated Drew’s sense of humor, wisdom and his love and respect for all he worked with and his colleagues. He made a significant contribution to the health of so many lives and will always be remembered as an outstanding human being. With love to you and your family, Betty Massie
Drew was a very talented psychologist, the go-to professional when it came to children’s mental health issues in Forsyth County. And he was so much more — a compassionate Christian, a caring friend, a wonderful conversationalist, a lover of classical and sacred music, and a rewarding breakfast companion for many years. Without the need to dominate or push, Drew made every group a warmer and more caring place for all participants. I will miss Drew tremendously, as will his community and, most especially, his family.
Drew had seen our son for educational testing and occasional check ins, and he was a wonderful care provider. We are grateful for all his expertise and guidance, and the wonderful rapport he had with our son. He made a profound difference for our family, and we are very sorry for your loss.
Drew was a delightful colleague. He always had the energy of a mischievous elf, though there was nothing mischievous about him. I will always remember the sparkle in his eyes as he told a story, his kindness when someone needed support. As busy as he was, he always took the time to actually listen to people, and he made everyone feel they mattered. A rare gem, he was; and I was lucky to have crossed his path. My heartfelt condolences to his precious family. He loved you all so very much.
When I think of Drew, what comes to mind is how caring & gentle he was, and how much he cared for his students. Well, that and some of the challenges he had with technology. One of my more poignant memories from the beginning of the pandemic was getting Drew on zoom, and enlisting Barbara to assist with getting that to work. Despite that being such an unnatural mode of teaching for Drew, he still made it work, and from everything I heard his classes still went quite well. I think this serves as a testament to how much Drew cared about his students and his work – even when faced with serious challenges and obstacles, he found a way to overcome them. I always appreciated having Drew in our department, and it is very sad that he is no longer with us.
Professor Edwards taught one of my psychology courses at WFU. He was kind, thoughtful, and ensured we learned the material instead of just memorizing theories or concepts. I remember him fondly and am sending comforting thoughts to his friends and family.
My interactions with Drew in the Psychology Department at Wake Forest were mostly casual, yet always meaningful and often entertaining. We often exchanged stories or insights while he was working in his preferred office in the lounge area. His kindness and compassion were always apparent, as so often was a delightful sense of humor. We will deeply miss him.
Dear Mrs. Edwards and Family,
It was with great sadness that I read of the passing of Drew. I so admired his clinical skills, and he helped so many children in the Clemmons area. He was also a wonderful friend. We had great interactions. I can still hear him laughing at some of my corny jokes.
He, too, was so proud of his family.
Please know that I will praying for you and your family in the coming days.
Walter Wray
My WFU colleagues’ tributes above capture so much of what was special about Drew. I echo all of their sentiments. Drew was a kind and humble man who always had a moment to chat and listen. I’ll remember him sitting on the bench outside of Greene Hall, enjoying some fresh air and interactions with colleagues who walked by as he took a break from work. His love of teaching was remarkable. I was always amazed at his consistent commitment to teaching – on top of a busy clinical practice – over the 30 years that I overlapped with him at WFU. I and the department will miss him a great deal.
Mrs Edwards and family- We are so sorry to hear of the passing of Dr Edwards. He saw us with our son when we lived in Clemmons and helped us figure out the puzzle we were dealing with. I hate to think of the shape we would be in if we had not had his help back then.
52 years together surely has left you with lots of great memories to cherish in the years to come. Best wishes as you all move forward.
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I just read of the passing of Dr Edwards. When I was 7 years old i was sexually abused by a teenage boy in my neighborhood. My parents brought me to Dr Edwards for therapy as a child and id play with his toys and we would talk. He was a friend and ive serached for years to tell him thank you. Thank you for listening and being my hero when i was a child and protecting me from that evil. I grew up and spent 25 years so far as a paramedic and a firefighter and im now training to become a mental health counselor so i can help first responders and those in the dark. Just like i was when Dr. Drew found me. God bless you my friend I wish id found you sooner to tell you in person and give you a firm handshake and hug. You saved me now rest you truly changed the world for so many of us. To his family. Thank you for sharing such a great man with us he will never, NEVER be forgotten. He will live on in the lives touched by all of those he touched though his kindness. Thank you Dr Drew.
Just finding this over a year after Dr. Edwards’ passing. I am so very sorry for your loss. He was a wonderful, kind person and a tremendous help for me and my family – I will never forget. Thanks for loaning him to us all those years. He really helped us handle those hard-to-handle kids – with great love!