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Dover’s unofficial historian

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Montrell Jones
I’ll never forget the day I met Patricia Edwards.
It was Friday, Nov. 21, 2014, and I had just been assigned to the 436th Force Support Squadron as the First Sergeant. I went to the Airman and Family Readiness Center to meet the staff. As I made my rounds, I was introduced to Edwards.

In that initial conversation, I knew she was special. In only a 20-minute conversation, I learned more about Dover Air Force Base than I knew in 14 years about my previous two assignments, and her energy was unmatched. From that day on, Edwards became my go-to for anything “Dover past.” On March 1, 2019, Edwards will retire after 47 years of service to Team Dover. As we close the 2019 Black History Month, let’s take a look at why Edwards is at the center of Dover’s history.

Edwards is originally from the Bronx, New York, and began working at Dover AFB on April 26, 1972 in the Non-Appropriated Funds Personnel Office. In a career spanning nearly 50 years, Edwards held many titles, to include personnel specialist, transition assistance manager and her current position of Dover AFB community readiness consultant.

Now if you haven’t had the pleasure of attending one of the patented Edwards team building events, then you have been missing out. She is one of the most energetic people you will ever meet, and if you’ve had the unfortunate pleasure of following her after a brief, I’m sorry. She knows how to get the audience fully involved in whatever presentation she is giving. She also cheats a bit and brings candy.

Now you cannot be this great and not receive accolades, and you can believe she sure does. But if you ask her what her proudest achievement is, she will tell you it’s raising a family as single parent and head of her household while completing all her educational goals, to include a Bachelor of Science in behavioral science, a Master of Science in human resource management and more certifications than this article can hold.

Edwards is one of the most giving people you will find. When I speak of giving, I am not talking about materialistic things; I’m talking about her time. She devotes her time to represent her community in the best ways possible. She has taught at the Delaware Department of Correction for more than 20 years, serves on the Bayhealth Advisory Board and has mentored at William Henry Middle School. This is only a small part of how dedicated she is to making her community better.

Now this short piece cannot come close to explaining how important Edwards is to Team Dover, but if you have not had to chance to meet her, let her own words inspire you, just as she has inspired me during my time at Dover:
“Life is not about self; it’s about sharing, caring and loving others. If you can change one life for the better, you have made a difference.”

As her career comes to an end, know that when Edwards retires officially on March 1, 2019, at 2 p.m., she takes with her the true history of Dover AFB and the surrounding community. So when you see her, don’t hesitate to ask about Charles C. Carson or Maj. Gen. Archer L. Durham because she witnessed a lot of the “firsts” of Dover AFB. Edwards is our search engine of choice when you want to know the history of Dover AFB.