City Councilman Jim Edwards Succumbs to Stoke

Arnold Ward 2 City Councilman Jim Edwards, 72, died from stoke complications late last week. 

“I lost a good friend who helped me by walking door-to-door in the heat for my campaign,” said Ward 3 Councilman Phil Amato in a phone interview Monday morning. 

“I said thank you to him and campaigned for him, but I never felt it was enough,” Amato said.

Edwards suffered a stoke at home at about 5 p.m. Aug. 18, a few hours prior to the City Council meeting at at 2101 Jeffco Blvd., Amato said.

Edwards received the clot-buster injection at 7 p.m. within the three-hour period to minimize stoke complications, Amato said.

“But the clot was too large,” he said.

Amato said he and Arnold City Attorney Bob Sweeney visited Edwards at an area hospital after attending the council meeting, where they approved the Arnold City budget for 2011-12 almost two weeks ago.

“Jim’s eyes were open. He squeezed my hand but couldn’t speak,” Amato said about his first visit to the hospital.

Amato said he visited the hospital several times afterward but was unable to talk with Edwards.

Hospital staff placed Edwards on a ventilator sometime between Aug. 18 and Aug. 19, Amato said.

Edwards was taken off the ventilator on Wednesday afternoon and died on Thursday at 9:15 p.m., Amato said.

Amato said he spoke with Edwards at noon the day of the stoke.

“He was talking about the budget, getting free trash for Ward 2, giving people a break and saving them money,” Amato said.

Edwards, a U.S. Army veteran, will be buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery with full Military Honors on Tuesday afternoon, Amato said.

Amato said he will be a pallbearer along with current council members Bill Moritz, Ken Moss, and Paul Freese, former council member Randy Crisler and Sweeney.