MENDENHALL, John Edwin “Ed”, 63, of Richmond, went to be with the Lord on October 8, 2020. He was preceded in death by his mother, Elaine Devaughn Mendenhall. Ed is survived by his loving wife of 32 years, Jane Tiller Mendenhall; daughter, Jessie Elaine Mendenhall; son, Keene Edwin Mendenhall; father, George Warren Mendenhall; siblings, George W. Mendenhall Jr., Mary “Molly” Bradford Suling and her husband, Jeff Suling; two nieces, two nephews and their children; his Chesapeake Bay retriever, Sally Belle; and gray tabby cat, Maia. Ed was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, when his father was stationed in the U.S. Air Force. After his birth, the family lived in Montana, Nebraska, Virginia and Colorado. In 1973, his family settled in Jacksonville, Alabama, where he graduated high school and started his undergraduate education at Jacksonville State University, pursuing a music degree in guitar performance. He would go on to complete the degree at the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama. Soon after, he received a master’s degree in Music Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. Following his graduation, he started his career in Virginia as an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Richmond and the University of Virginia. He had a fiery passion for playing guitar, he treated the instrument as an extension of himself. It is here in Richmond that he found his loving wife of 32 years, Jane Mendenhall, and started a family. He had a wonderful sense of humor, as his goofy laugh and smile never failed to light up any room. He wanted nothing but the best for his family and extended his warmth and care to everyone he came across. From his funky taste in music to his habit of making short stories long, his memory will live on forever in our hearts.