Edward Fordyce Obituary

Fordyce, Edward Winfield Jr., died peacefully at age 84 on Jan. 28, 2026. Ed was born in St. Louis, Mo. on Sept. 23, 1941, to Edward Winfield Fordyce and Jane Noland Fordyce. After his mother's death in 1950, Ed and his sister, Jane, were raised by their stepmother, Adele Dwyer Fordyce, who became a foundational presence in his life, along with Adele's daughter, Paris. Ed grew up in St. Louis and graduated from St. Louis Country Day School. He graduated cum laude from Harvard University and later earned his law degree from the University of Virginia. Following graduation, he embarked on a long career in corporate law and executive management, including serving as general counsel for several corporations. He was known professionally for his integrity, discipline and sharp judgment. Ed made his home in Irving, Texas, and was a devout Episcopalian. He took great interest in church matters at both the national and local levels. He held close relationships with clergy throughout the region and was a dedicated member of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, where he taught Bible study classes for many years. His lessons focused on the historical context of scripture and on making it applicable to daily life. Ed had a lifelong passion for birds, loved his dogs and cats, enjoyed staying current on national and world events, and participated in a book club with his Harvard classmates. He was deeply interested in the lives of his sons and each of his grandchildren. He was known for his dry humor, gentle nature and the quiet seriousness with which he approached both faith and work. Ed is survived by his longtime partner, Debra Howard; his sisters, Jane Fordyce of Rosebud, Mo., and Paris Day of Hotchkiss, Colo.; and by his three sons: Edward Winfield "Tad" Fordyce III (Susie) of Indianapolis, Ind.; Douglas Abbott Fordyce (Melissa) of Houston, Texas; and Russell Shepard Fordyce (Kristen) of Beverly, N.J.; along with seven grandchildren: Lachlan, Lily, Abby, Sam, Sawyer, Parker and Lauren. A funeral will be held Saturday, March 7, at 11:30 a.m. at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 2700 Warren Circle, Irving, TX 75062, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer (redeemer-irving.org/give) or to Dallas PBS (kera.org).