Robert "Bob" Hogan Edens was born on August 30, 1933 in Kings Mountain, N.C. the son of C.C. "Shorty" Edens and Sallie Hogan Edens.

He was a self-professed "country boy." No matter how far he travelled or how far he advanced in his career, he always said he was just a simple country boy. In his youth, he enjoyed fishing, hunting, baseball (both playing and listening to it on the radio!), his hunting dogs, and causing mischief with his closest brother, C.C. Edens, Jr. Their most amazing feat was staying out of jail.

Bob was an honor graduate of KMHS and was employed by Neisler Mills at the Margrace Plant in Kings Mountain before enlisting in the USAF. His sister, Naomi, worked on the draft board. She "may" have given him a slight "heads-up." Bob was just mentioning last week that at 11:00 he was raising his right hand enlisting in the Air Force and in the afternoon mail came his draft notice...for the Army.

After serving almost 3 years as an enlisted airman, Bob joined the Air Cadets program and earned his navigator wings. He served in numerous capacities in many southern and western states as well as many countries in Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia. He flew 75 hours of combat while serving at Cam Rahn Bay in Vietnam and spent many more hours flying a desk as an intelligence officer before retiring in 1989 at the rank of Colonel. He served his country proudly and unashamedly for almost 33 years. His many awards and decorations included the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service w/2 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, and Presidential Unit Citation.

On his first overseas tour to England he met and married E. Anne Parnaby, his devoted wife of 62 years. He stated many times over the years that the best decision he ever made was to marry her. In fact, he said his second best decision was "see decision number one." Their marriage was quirky, fun, at times frustrating, but always full of the deepest love and respect. Their marriage produced two daughters: Valerie Edens Malesic of Dallas, TX, and Lt Col (USAF, Retired) Sandra K. Edens of Apex, NC.

Colonel Edens obtained his BS degree from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL and MPA from Golden Gate University, San Francisco. Some of his most valuable lessons, though, came from the "school of hard knocks." One of the sayings he always tried to live by was, "What you do speaks so loudly I can't hear a word you say." He wasn't a man of many words. He communicated through his actions. When he did speak, though, you could take those words to the bank. You may not like his opinion on an issue, but he was nothing if not brutally honest.

Bob was a member of the Sanford Lions Club for more than 30 years. He had a sharp mind and a quick wit. He held his own on the politics of the day, or the telling of the latest joke, and he was always ready to help when needed. He lived life by learning from his mistakes, and he taught others to do the same. While he possessed many accomplishments, he was the most proud of his family.

He was predeceased by his parents and all five of his siblings: Naomi and Mary Frances Edens, Evelyn Edens Hawkins, and Howard and C.C. Edens, Jr. He is survived by his wife, Anne, and daughters Valerie and Sandra, as well as Valerie's husband Christian D. Malesic, and grandchildren Sarah, Skylar and Damon.

A memorial service conducted by Dr. Mike Johnson will be held at Miller-Boles Funeral Home and Crematory, 1150 Fire Tower Rd, Sanford, NC, 27330 on February 15, 2025. Visitation at 2:00 and service at 3:00 PM.

Bob supported MANY charities, but donations in lieu of flowers may be made to:
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Tunnel to Towers, or St Jude's Hospital.

Online condolences may be left at: www.millerbolesfuneralhome.com