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Proclamation honoring Mr. Peter “Pete” Seddon Edwards, Jr. upon his 100th birthday.
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WHEREAS, on January 2, 1921, Peter “Pete” Seddon Edwards, Jr. was born to Helen Pinkham Edwards and Peter Seddon Edwards, Sr.; and
WHEREAS, Pete attended a one-room schoolhouse on Irishtown Road in Bethel Park, PA; and
WHEREAS, Pete graduated from Bethel Park High School at the age of 17 and while attending high school worked at his family’s lumberyard unloading lumber and doing other odd jobs; and
WHEREAS, in order to prepare for college, Pete attended Mercersburg Academy where he played football, basketball and baseball; and
WHEREAS, Pete attended Colgate University in Hamilton, New York where he majored in Economics; and
WHEREAS, after hearing about Pearl Harbor, Pete enlisted in the in the US Army Air Corp on August 12, 1942; and
WHEREAS, Pete graduated a semester early in December of 1942, and in April of 1943 entered active duty as an Aviation Cadet, receiving his wings and Second Lieutenant’s bars in March of 1944; and
WHEREAS, in order to fly as a pilot, Pete had surgery to correct a deviated septum at Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh; there he met Ruth Hay, a nurse from Somerset, PA. They dated for six weeks before Pete had to leave for training. Ruth visited him at training camp in Moultrie, Georgia where they were married on March 17, 1944 in the chapel at Spence Field; and
WHEREAS, in August of 1944, Pete traveled by troop ship to Italy where he was stationed in San Sevaro and Mondolfo from September 1944 to May of 1945, he flew 49 missions as a bomber escort in a P-51 Mustang; and
WHEREAS, because of his construction knowledge in remodeling a building for a mess hall, Pete was chosen to travel to Rome to purchase furniture for the mess hall. There, he was blessed by the Pope and had time to visit famous churches and the Coliseum; and
WHEREAS, in February of 1945, Pete was promoted to 1st Lieutenant; and
WHEREAS, in May of 1945, Pete left the Army Air Corp and returned home to his wife in hopes of raising a family and working at the family business; and
WHEREAS, in the mid-50’s, Pete decided he wanted to start his own business, so he bought a Wynn Oil Company distributorship. His territory consisted of Western Pennsylvania. At that time, Pete worked part-time for Brookside Lumber and part-time for Wynn’s. In the early 50’s, he became President of Brookside Lumber and he has been Chairman of the Board since the 1980’s; and
WHEREAS, Pete later became a distributor for BG Products, Inc.; a company which produces products to maintain vehicles through high quality automotive maintenance services for fuel systems, engines, transmissions, brakes, power steering, cooling, battery, drive line and climate control systems. At 95, he sold his BG distributorship, but continued working for the family business, Brookside Lumber Company until he retired in November of 2020 at the age of 99-years; and
WHEREAS, as a young father, Pete had a passion for sports and became involved in the church basketball league, the Bethel Park softball league, and a member of the St. Clair Country Club; and
WHEREAS, over the years, Pete was a member of various community organizations and served on various boards including: Bethel Kiwanis Club, a founding member of the Bethel Park Community Foundation, Bethel Park School District Bond Authority, Bethel Park Planning and Zoning Commission, Bethel Park Chamber of Commerce, Bethel Park Athletic Hall of Fame Committee, 90 and Over Club of Bethel Park, American Legion, Bethel Presbyterian Church, and WWII Pilots; and
WHEREAS, family is most important thing to Pete. He has been blessed with two loving wives; his first wife Ruth passed away in 1999 and in 2013, he married Adeline Jones of McMurray. Together, Pete and Ruth have 4 children, 12 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Pete is known for his “Pearls of Wisdom”, his most noted motto is “Always do your best no matter what you are doing, and do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Allegheny County Council Member Sam DeMarco, do hereby honor and recognize Peter “Pete” Seddon Edwards, Jr. for his longevity, and we wish him all the best as he celebrates his 100th birthday.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto caused the Seal of the County of Allegheny to be affixed this 2nd day of January 2021.