Remembering Ed

by Doug Rehberg

On Monday, August 8, 2018, Hebron member and my dear friend, Ed Adams, died at his home on Jefferson Road in Penn Hills at the age of 57. Ed was an All-American High School baseball player who was named WPIAL Player of the Year in 1977. After high school Ed played Division I collegiate baseball at the University of South Carolina. He was inducted into the Penn Hills and East Boros Sports Hall of Fame and served as National Softball Association Pennsylvania State Director.

In addition to his athletic accomplishments, Ed was a sociology/psychology instructor and student support specialist for Community College of Allegheny County.

But much more important than all of Ed’s athletic and professional achievements was his thorough embracing of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel.

As many of you may know, Ed came to know Christ in 1991 through the witness of Dick Shorthouse. Within months of his conversion, Ed began to attend Hebron and grow in his faith. He attended Tuesday night Bible studies and Tuesday night Grove, and served as a deacon. Throughout all of this time, and in spite of his love for the Lord, Ed struggled.

Whereas many of us suffer from internal issues and besetting pain points, Ed’s suffering was quite visible as he suffered from a debilitating addiction to food. Ed was a food addict, taking refuge in food to assuage an emotional emptiness that plagued him throughout his life.

Throughout his 24 years as a member of the Hebron Church family Ed knew the joys of leaning on Christ and His body, as well as the pain of feeling all alone. Marvelously, in the final years of his life, Ed’s faith in Jesus Christ grew by leaps and bounds.

Dying to Eat - The Confessions of a Food Addict, is Ed’s story. His dying wish was to help others find Christ’s strength in the midst of their deep struggles. His hope was to continue to touch lives with the Gospel long after he met Jesus face-to-face.

Already many at Hebron have read his book. Our plan is to have a group discussion with Zandy Dudiak, Ed’s friend and co-author, on Wednesday, March 27, at 7:30 pm, at the Barclay Building. To secure your copy of his autobiography, Dying to Eat, please contact the church office; and we will get you a copy for the discounted price of $10.