Coastal Community Foundation remembers Howard D. Edwards

The Coastal Community Foundation recently lost one of its founding members and the organization’s first and longest serving President, from 1974-1982. Howard D. Edwards passed away, leaving a legacy of philanthropic work and a steadfast commitment to making the coastal region of South Carolina a better place to live. He and his wife, Tina, built the Howard D. Edwards Endowment here at CCF, which will provide charitable grants in his name, forever.
Howard was President of the Rotary Club of Charleston from 1973-1974, during which time he was one of six who had the foresight to start a community foundation to serve the Trident area, which, of course, is now CCF.
Richard Hendry, Program Officer for CCF and the Foundation’s second employee hired in the early 1980’s remembers Howard and his compassion.
“Howard gave us money and was our staunch advocate for four decades. Whether in meetings of Boards and Committees or one-to-one with staff members, his was always the wise and calming voice of encouragement and of ‘doing the right thing.’ It was Howard who presented our first-ever grant check in 1983 — $1,000 to help a group of gifted & talented students travel to Michigan, where they won the national Olympics of the Mind competition,” explains Richard.
The initial asset base of $9000 from the Rotary Club of Charleston has now grown to over $185 million in combined assets at CCF for community good in Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton and Jasper counties.
“As one of our first Board members, Howard helped lay the foundation of the Foundation. He had a hand in our founding documents, our first investment policies, and our very organizational character and personality,” adds Richard.
Howard is survived by his wife of 61 years, Tina; three children, Tina Mayland and son-in-law, Larry, (Seabrook Island, SC), Ollie (Atlanta, GA), and Howard, Jr. and daughter-in-law, Anne (Mt. Pleasant, SC); and four grandchildren.