Ralph Everett Edwards Sr, 72, of Sparta, died Friday, June 16, 2006 at Franciscan Skemp Healthcare, La Crosse. He was born to Everette W. and Anna Marie (Kopp) Edwards in Leavenworth, KS on September 26, 1933. He was their only child. He married Shirley O. Biggs on October 28, 1955 in Tucumcari, NM. Ralph entered the USAF in 1953 and was posted to many different states and cities. Later, he left the USAF and went with the US Army reserve attaining the rank of CWO before his retirement in 1993. He was in aviation his entire life and enjoyed his hobby of model trains and planes. Along with Shirley, he founded Skyline School of Aviation Maintenance, Inc., while working for NWA. In 1980, Skyline was sold to Van Dusen Air and he went to work for Tinker AFB, OK leaving there as Chief S/M Planner for AWAC in 1990. While in the military and as a civil service employee, he earned many commendations as well as during his civilian aviation career. After his retirement, Ralph worked part time helping to maintain the Gundersen-Lutheran Hospital MedLink helicopter stationed in La Crosse.

     Ralph is survived by his wife, Shirley of Sparta; two sons, Ralph Jr (Marie) of Bloomington, MN and David Lee of Sparta; two grandchildren, Amy Lee of Bloomington and Kyle Robert of Sparta; as well as some cousins, aunts, and uncles related through the Meyer, Kopp, and Edwards family.

     He was preceded in death by his parents; maternal and paternal grandparents; and his infant daughter, Cherilyn Anne Edwards.