Edgar Charles Wedge

Edgar Charles Wedge Jr. passed away on December 4, 2020, surrounded by family. A celebration of his life will he held on Monday, July 5 at 1:00pm at the Benton Fire Hall in Penn Yan. Ed was born on August 18, 1943 in Norwich, NY, the oldest son of Edgar Charles Wedge Sr. and Martha Maltzan Wedge of Earlville, NY. He graduated from Earlville Central School in 1961, earned his Bachelor of Science from SUNY Geneseo in 1973, and his Masters of Science in Education from Nazareth College in 1977. He enlisted in the US Air Force and served from June 1964 – May 1968. He was stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, NY and Osan Air Force Base in South Korea where he served as a Weather Observer. He and fellow airman Chuck Scott became lifelong friends after serving together. He married Sally Charles on July 6, 1968 and they moved to Penn Yan, NY in 1974 to accept teaching positions. They had three children, Karen, Sarah and Chip (Edgar Charles III). Ed became a reading teacher at Penn Yan Academy in 1974 and taught there until he transferred to Penn Yan Middle School in 1996. He retired in 2001 after 32 years of teaching. Ed took a first aid course in 1976 which led him to join the Penn Yan Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps, where he volunteered for the rest of his life. He became a certified EMT. He served as president of PYAVAC for 8 years. He became a First Aid and CPR instructor through the Red Cross as well as an EMT instructor for the NY State Health Department. He taught so many classes that the PYAVAC training room has been renamed the Edgar Wedge Training Room in his honor. He joined the EMS in 1986 and served on the State EMS Council, representing Seneca, Yates, Ontario and Wayne Counties. He received the Clara Barton award for Meritorious Volunteer Activity and a new award was created in his name, the Edgar C. Wedge Award. Ed was a loving father, husband, grandfather, brother, and son. He instilled a good work ethic and a sense of responsibility in his children and students. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening, and archery. He was enthusiastic about giving back to his community and has left his mark on all of the organizations he volunteered for during his life. He was vocal about supporting the Penn Yan community by supporting local businesses. He was generous in his support of charities that were meaningful to him. He never went a day without reading the paper, watching the news, or watching Jeopardy. He is survived by his children Karen (Adam) Wedge Landry, Sarah (Kevin) Wedge-Merrill, and Chip (Ravimai) Wedge; grandchildren Victoria, Aniya and Myles Landry, Matthew and Marcus Merrill, Kyra Da Jose, Caleb and Edgar IV (Chuck) Wedge; brother Les (Diane) Wedge, sisters Sharon (Robert) Ott, Susan (John) Davidson, and Teresa Wedge; and many nieces and nephews. Donations in his memory can be made to the Penn Yan Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps, American Red Cross Yates County Chapter, or Penn Yan Central School District.