Harvey A. Edwards

Harvey Alan Edwards (Harve), 71, of Stamford, formerly of Greenwich, restaurateur and former owner of Beyond Bread bakery, passed away on May 18th, surrounded by his two children. Harvey was born in Springfield, MA, on July 28, 1940. The youngest of two children of Russell Gordon Edwards and Virginia Higgins, he was raised in Quincy, MA. Harvey earned a BS in business administration from Northeastern University. He served in the Coast Guard and tried his hand as a stock broker. He was the Physical Director at the Greenwich YMCA for 13 years, during which time he met and married Michele Thomas. While at the YMCA, he was awarded for his dedication and commitment to helping developmentally disabled children build athletic skills, as well as contributing to the success of many young athletes. He relocated to Sagy, France and began courses at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts School in Paris and later interned at the world renowned Chez Les Anges. Upon his return to the United States, he continued to work in restaurants for several years before opening Le Bec Fin, a small takeout business in Old Greenwich; and then the highly rated restaurant Café Du Bec Fin. Beyond Bread, the bakery he established in Old Greenwich, produced fine breads and pastries for 18 years.While his son Randy was young, Harvey coached several Greenwich-area athletic teams and cherished their time spent playing sports together. Harvey was an avid Yankees fan, in spite of his Boston upbringing. He traveled extensively throughout Europe with his family, and took great pleasure in trying new wines and keeping up with food trends. Harvey will be remembered as a hardworking, self-less, kind person, as a loving and warm father, and as a talented man who took perfectionism in the culinary arts to new levels. He made others laugh with his deadpan sense of humor and was loved by all who knew him. His survivors include his children, Jennifer Francine Edwards of Denver, Colorado, and Randall Gordon Thomas Edwards of Stamford, Connecticut; their mother Michele Edwards; and a brother Russell Gordon Edwards Jr. of Bellevue, WA.

A memorial service will be held at Christ Church Greenwich in the Loft of the Parish House on June 30th at 1:00 PM. Arrangements in care of Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home, 2900 Summer Street, Stamford. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the YMCA of Greenwich. Send to YMCA of Greenwich, 50 East Putnam Ave., Greenwich, CT 06830 ATTN: Dale Lucian.