Edward Lane Obituary

Edward Stewart Lane, Jr.

July 21, 1945 -

June 20, 2024

On Saturday, October 11, 2025, there will be a memorial service at Gate City United Methodist Church celebrating the life of Edward Stewart Lane, Jr. Ed died on June 20, 2024 following a lengthy illness. He was married for 57 years to June Bostic Lane of Church Hill, Tennessee. He is the son of Edward S. Lane, Sr. and Naomi Irene McConnell of Gate City. His siblings are Freddie Richard Lane (wife, Bonnie) and Pamela Kay Lane Johnson (husband, Dewey). Ed's parents and brother are deceased. He has six nieces and nephews (Jennifer, Angela, Melissa (deceased) and Rachel Lane and Drew and Ian Johnson).

Ed (variously called Edward and Eddie, depending upon whether it was his boss, a friend, his mom and his wife) was a 1963 graduate of Gate City High School. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force and of the war in Southeast Asia. He received both Bachelor's and Master's degrees, with honors, from George Mason University.

A lifelong United Methodist, Ed personified dedication to justice and equality in his dealings both personal and professional. He was especially interested in and supportive of the "Dreamers" program, enabling young people from other countries to become U. S. citizens. He was an informal ambassador wherever he traveled, working effectively with each culture he encountered. He and June were involved in civil rights initiatives wherever they lived as members of the military.

Ed's career began during the genesis of the telecommunications industry, where he participated in the development of many of the technologies which today form the backbone of the worldwide web. He designed and taught courses all over the world on a wide variety of telecommunications subjects. His final position was as a contractor with the State Department where he served as an Instructional Systems Designer for the Bureau of Diplomatic Security/Foreign Affairs Security Training Center.

He and June made their home for most of their married life in northern Virginia and Washington, DC. He loved mowing their lawn (which is much too large) and attending museums, lectures and concerts. And also just sitting in the back yard looking at the stars and wondering about the universe.

Memorial donations may be made to either World Central Kitchen (Donor Services Team, P. O. Box 96538, Washington, DC 20090-6538) or Doctors Without Borders (PO Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030). Or you may make a donation to an organization of your choice.

Guests will be received at the church by the family at 1:00, with the service beginning at 2:00 PM. There will be a brief ceremony at Holston View Cemetery following the service.