Edward Anthony Jewell, age 67, of Jackson, Kentucky, passed away on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington. He was born on January 2, 1958, in Waukegan, Illinois, to the late Edward and Lillie Mae Ritchie Jewell.
Edward attended Kentucky State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in Chemistry. He later pursued his dream of becoming a physician and was a senior in medical school at the University of Kentucky when a severe head injury forced him to withdraw. Before becoming disabled in a serious car accident, Edward worked at Bendix and also served for several years as a dedicated member of the Frankfort Rescue Squad.
His compassion and desire to help others were central to his life. Through his vending machine business, he once helped locate and return six missing children home in a single year. He volunteered with organizations such as Child Quest, Child Watch, Parents Without Partners, and a head injury victims’ support group, offering guidance and comfort to those in need. During the AIDS epidemic, he placed vending machines in public spaces offering protective products to help slow the spread of the disease.
At only 15 years old, Edward became one of the youngest people ever to be named an Honorable Kentucky Colonel, after helping rescue children from a school bus being swept away by floodwaters. He also served as a counselor and assistant at Leland Country Day Camp in Frankfort, volunteered for Halloween events, and participated in Big Brother programs to help get kids off the streets.
Through his karate dojo, Chen-Lu—which stands for Courage, Honor, Enlightenment, and Community—Edward delivered Thanksgiving food baskets and Christmas gifts to those in need. A generous man, he often took people into his home to help them get back on their feet, and he helped many afford their college education because he understood the value of learning. Edward was also a former landowner who leased property to local farmers raising cattle and tobacco, and he worked as a landlord and investor.
When he was able, before his hands grew too shaky, Edward enjoyed creating art. He also loved writing, cooking, discovering places to eat, playing cards with friends, and taking his children and grandchildren to the park for ice cream and laughter.
Edward was the author of “The Oneness of Religions,” a thoughtful exploration of how faiths can coexist and how division arises from human interpretation. At the time of his passing, he was writing a book—one that first came to him in a dream as a young man—about how to heal the world.
He was known for his strong, heartfelt prayer voice through which many felt the true power of God. As his daughter, Tahereh, lovingly said: “I know his work hasn’t ended—he’s just on the other side working now.”
Edward made people better simply by knowing him. His kindness, wisdom, and giving spirit will live on in every life he touched.
He is survived by the mother of his children, Virginia Hawkins DeRue; his sons, Chris Jewell and Jason K. Jewell; his daughter, Tahereh D. Gates (Bill); his sister, Glenda Dolan; and his grandchildren, Cody A. Bandy, Jordan X. Bandy, Miranda L. Gates, and Tyler B. Jewell. He also leaves behind a host of other relatives and many dear friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Lillie Mae Ritchie Jewell.
Visitation for Edward will begin Friday, November 14, 2025 at 11:00AM at the Breathitt Funeral Home with memorial service beginning at 12:00PM with David and Julia Rome officiating the service.
Matthew 5:16 (KJV)
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
