Obituary: Edwin L. Lord, 1954-2025

Edwin
L. Lord III died peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones on March
16, 2025. Ed was a beloved husband, father, brother, friend, teacher
and mentor to the many lives with whom he crossed paths.

Ed
was born in Wilmington, Del., to Edwin L. Lord Jr, and Kathleen
(Strickland) Lord, who both predeceased him. He attended schools in
Wilmington and Greenville, Del. Ed had a happy childhood growing up
in Wilmington and Hockessin, Del., participating in band, sports and
scouting. Many of his fondest memories included family visits to the
coast of Maine and camping trips to Vermont, where he would
eventually attend Johnson State College and graduate with BS degrees
in psychology and sociology in 1977. He later earned his master’s
degree in education from the University of Vermont.

It
was at JSC where he met the love of his life, Benita Sloboda, while
working at the Prove Access Program. They married on August 16, 1980,
on a memorably rainy and windy day at the Sloboda family farm in Hyde
Park, Vt. They welcomed two sons, Nathaniel, in 1984, and Ian, in
1987. The family settled in Jericho, Vt., in 1988, where Ed was
dutifully involved in all the boys’ activities, including Little
League, school projects and extracurriculars, and much more.

Ed
began working at the Baird Center for Children and Families in
Burlington, Vt., in 1980. For nearly 45 years, Ed was a teacher,
mentor, interventionist and a kind ear and shoulder for all the kids,
families and coworkers with whom he spent time at the Baird school,
and later at the Jean Garvin School in Williston. He retired in June
2024. As much as he loved spending time with his family, Ed left
plenty of room in his heart for all the kids he worked with.

Besides
his family, Ed’s greatest loves were music by the Grateful Dead and
many other bands; a variety of craft beers from breweries both local
and those he discovered elsewhere; quirky movies; traveling, camping
and visiting historic sites; and the Boston Red Sox, even when they
disappointed him. Ed will be missed for his hearty laughter, gift of
storytelling and mostly his huge heart.

Ed
is survived by his beloved wife, Benita, and his two sons, Nathaniel
Lord and his wife, Angie Price, of Greenville, S.C., and Ian Lord of
Burlington. He also leaves two brothers, Jonathan Lord and wife,
Susan, of Hanover, Pa., and Martin Lord of Wilmington, Del., niece
Kaitlyn Lord of Scotland, and nephew Hunter Lord of Wilmington.
Others include his brothers- and sister-in-law on Benita’s side of
the family, as well as several nieces and a nephew, all of whom took
Ed in as a member of the extended Sloboda clan. He also leaves many
dear friends, especially Laurie, Carolyn and Fred.

The
family thanks the medical staff of the McClure 5 unit and ER at the
University of Vermont Medical Center for their care of Ed during his
brief battle with cancer. Thanks also to the hospice staff, members
of the Baird and Garvin schools, and the many friends, neighbors and
family who cared for Ed and his family during this time.

Donations
in Ed’s honor may be made to Howard Center’s School Services Program or to the UVM Health Network, Home Health & Hospice program.

A
celebration of Ed’s life will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025,
from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Underhill Town Hall, 12 Pleasant Valley Rd.,
Underhill, VT. At his request this will be a casual gathering, filled
with music and laughter, for all who want to share stories and
memories about Ed.

This article appears in Mar 19-25, 2025.