Edwards, first tenor in the King's Heralds quartet at the Voice of Prophecy from 1947 to 1971, died Thursday morning, June 3, while resting at home. He was 79. Edwards had been recuperating from cancer surgery.

Developed Daily Broadcast

In 1971, after 24 years with the King's Heralds, Edwards felt he needed to spend more time with his teenage children and requested permission to leave the quartet.

He worked closely with Pastor H. M. S. Richards Jr., at that time the Voice of Prophecy director-speaker, to develop a 15-minute radio broadcast aired Monday through Friday. He also produced a series of children's Bible stories, dramatized by Pastor Richards Jr., that continue to be aired on radio stations and on this web site. Edwards served as researcher and producer for the daily broadcast until his retirement at the end of 1989.

During 1992 and 1993, he performed with the other members of the 1962 King's Heralds in a reunion tour of the U.S., Canada, and Brazil.

Until recently, he continued to work part-time as a counselor with the Voice of Prophecy Bible correspondence school.

Early Years in Midwest

Edwards was born in Kokomo, Indiana, in 1924. His father's career as a Seventh-day Adventist pastor and schoolteacher required the family to make frequent moves.

Bob's mother, Josephine Cunnington Edwards, also taught school and was well known as a Christian storyteller. Her two dozen books and numerous articles were enjoyed by children and adults around the world. Actively involved in work with children into her 80's, she died in 1993.

Bob received his elementary education in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, then attended high school in Minnesota, where he graduated from Maplewood Academy in Hutchinson.

After one year at Union College, Lincoln, Nebraska, he transferred to Emmanuel Missionary College (now Andrews University), Berrien Springs, Michigan, where he received his bachelor of arts degree in religion in 1946. His college minor was music, and extracurricular activities included playing in the college band, singing in the choir, and participating in the college male quartet.

Sang in Several Languages

Following his college graduation, Edwards spent one year in Florida as a pastor and singing evangelist before the Voice of Prophecy invited him to join the broadcast as first tenor in the King's Heralds.

Edwards and his colleagues sang not only in English, but also in several other languages used by Voice of Prophecy affiliates around the world. Known as Los Heraldos del Rey in Spanish, the quartet was featured regularly on La Voz de la Esperanza.

His 24 years with the quartet involved much travel, including many trips across the United States and Canada, as well as tours to Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Far East. Edwards was ordained to the gospel ministry in 1953.

Author and World Traveler

Edwards wrote several books, including H. M. S. Richards: A Biography. Among his other books are A Voice in the Air, tracing the Voice of Prophecy's first 50 years from its beginning in 1929; Scrolls and Bones and Talking Stones, presenting the story of archaeological discoveries that shed light on the biblical story of Abraham; and South of the Border, which recorded highlights of the King's Heralds' first six-week trip to Mexico and Central America with La Voz de la Esperanza.

He visited many biblical sites in Israel, Turkey, Greece, and other countries of the Middle East. His hobbies included astronomy, and he read widely on many topics.

Edwards is survived by his wife, Sharon; children Dorothy, James, Connie, and David; 13 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren,his brother, Charles and his sister, Alice. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Irene Angela Sansonetti, and a son, Charles.