Levern "Lee" Edwards, 71, passed away on March 16, 2025, in Tarrytown, NY, surrounded by family and friends who visited and made sure he knew he was loved. Levern was born to Thelma Cherry Edwards and Gussie Edwards on October 12, 1953, in the small rural town of Ahoskie, North Carolina.

Lee's early education began at Hertford County Public Schools, and he later attended the Robert L. Vann School, a segregated Black high school. Shortly after, he joined Job Corps in Bamberg, South Carolina, where he learned construction skills. Lee worked various jobs as a day laborer, laying bricks in Ahoskie, before migrating to New York, where many of his older siblings lived.

Throughout his life, Lee experienced good and challenging times, but one thing remained constant: his love for family and his enjoyment of having family and friends around. Many remember him as a tall, handsome, and sophisticated man who would cross his legs while sipping coffee. He had a big appetite for home-cooked meals, and if you were related to Levern—whether family or friend—you likely remember his frequent phrases, "Gal, what ya cooking?" and "Let me hold a dollar," along with his signature saying, "and what not."

His siblings survive Lee: Thelma Sherrod, Tommie Edwards (Lucille Edwards), Lawrence Edwards, Gloria Edwards, Gary Eason (Tonya Eason), Timmy Eason (Sereta Eason), Sister in Law Jean Edwards and a host of nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thelma Cherry Edwards -Eason and Gussie Edwards, and his siblings, Gussie Edwards, Jr., Addie Mae Edwards, Barbara Edwards, Christine Edwards, Sharon Ann Edwards, and Gail Eason, Brother in Law Roosevelt Sherrod and Sister in Law Almarie Edwards.

A wake will be held from 4-8 p.m. on Friday, March 21, 2025, and a Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 10 a.m. at the Leach & Thomas- Waterbury & Kelly Funeral Home, Ossining, New York. Interment will follow at Dale Cemetery, Ossining, New York.

Leach & Thomas-Waterbury & Kelly Funeral Home

45 South Highland Avenue

Ossining, New York 10562

914-941-0840