Edward Luz Salas

Edward was born on March 6, 1979, to Peter and Alma Salas, who were stationed in Madrid, Spain. Edward was raised in Merrifield and Vienna, Virginia, along with his older brother, Andre. He graduated from James Madison High School in 1998, where he was proud of his time on the wrestling team. He began working in the IT industry, right out of high school. He continued his education through a variety of certification work and independent classes. For the last 16 years, he has worked for Navy Federal Credit Union. He appreciated the close family-like nature of the group he worked with.

On October 6, 2012, Edward married Shannan Danish. They have one cat, River, who Edward spoiled rotten, despite not being a cat guy. Edward and Shannan loved each other deeply and enjoyed festivals, travel and being outdoors. They went on many great travel adventures together, including Hawaii, Budapest, Ghana, Oaxaca, Playa Del Carmen and New Orleans. Edward also traveled to Korea and Japan. He enjoyed learning about new cultures and foods, and sharing with others.

Edward always tried to be self-reliant and prepared, and have skills he could use to help others. He owned a small firearms training company, Paragon Firearms Training, and enjoyed practicing marksmanship and martial arts. He was a 3rd degree Black Belt of Karate Do at DNBK Martial Arts Society. He also enjoyed working on his Jeep and driving off-road. He was a proud member of Off Camber Crawlers, and deeply valued the many friendships he made there.

Edward was a devoted husband, son and brother, and a loyal friend. He always tried to help others when he could. He was a strong man who believed in following through and getting jobs done, but he also had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh and make others laugh. He loved cooking for his friends and family, especially smoking meats. He loved being outdoors and learning new things. He will be greatly missed.