Edna Herdman

Edna "Eddie" Varela Herdman, Ph.D., 70, died peacefully on Wednesday, July 30, 2014, after a brief, but fierce, battle with cancer. She truly embodied what it meant to live, as a daughter, wife, mother and friend. Dr. Herdman was born in New York City, N.Y. and raised in Lyndhurst, N.J. She obtained a B.A. degree from New York University, a M.A. from the University of Minnesota and a Ph.D in psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. It was in St. Louis that she settled with her husband, Peter, to start a career as an organizational psychologist with the federal government, first with The Army Corp of Engineers and then ending her impressive 37 year stint in civil service with the National Imagery and Mapping Agency. She and Peter raised two children, Anne and John, in a close-knit family environment filled with wonderful summer vacations, boating and fishing, movies and pizza nights, and always with dinner together around the family table. They were both extremely proud of their children and the life they had created. They retired together to a house on the water in Jacksonville, Fla., in 2003 and made many new wonderful friends and memories. Eddie later moved to Chattanooga in 2012, some years after Peter passed, where she enjoyed gardening and volunteering at McKamey Animal Shelter, with a special love for cats. She was preceded in death by her parents, Juan Varela and Josephine Mancilla; and her husband, Peter Herdman. She leaves behind her children, Anne Herdman Royal (Jason), of Signal Mountain, and John Herdman (Chanel), of New Braunfels, Texas; sisters, Judy Kelty (Dan), of Conyers, Ga., Susan Herdman Winters (Gus), of Sarasota, Fla., and Priscilla Herdman (Dick) of Pine Plains, N.Y.; as well as several loved nieces and nephews and countless friends. She will be remembered most for her smile, which has brightened the lives of many a family member, friend, and stranger. She will be missed and loved for a very long time to come. Private family services with a celebration of her full and joyful life will be held at a later date. The family suggests contributions to the cancer charity of your choice. Visit www.lanefh.com to share condolences. Arrangements are by Lane Funeral Home, 601 Ashland Terrace, 877-3524.