Nicholas Donald “Don” Edwards died in January at the age of 93 in his Tucson home. Edwards, who spent several decades as a promo distributor, was named Counselor’s 1980 Person of the Year.

Don Edwards, N. Donald Edwards Co.

In 1962, Edwards founded his company, the N. Donald Edwards Co. Over the ensuing decades, he grew it into one of the largest distributors in New England. In 1988, Edwards sold his company to the Geiger family of Counselor Top 40 distributor Geiger (asi/202900) and moved to Tucson, AZ. In Tucson, he started a staffing company franchise, and after building that business, he sold it to friends and jumped back into the promotional products industry.

During his long career, Edwards achieved many professional accolades, in addition to being named Person of the Year. He served on trade group Promotional Products Association International’s (PPAI) board of directors from 1974 to 1978 and was board chairman in 1978, being named PPAI’s man of the year the same year. In 1989, he was inducted into the PPAI Hall of Fame. In 1984, he was named Connecticut Small Business Person of the Year, and he attended the White House Conference on Small Business in Washington, D.C.

Edwards was also active in his community, serving on various boards and playing a role in the Ridgefield Kiwanis Club, for example.

Born on Feb. 2, 1931, in Danbury, CT, Edwards grew up in factory-owned housing where his family didn’t have running water until Edwards was a sophomore in high school. Edwards served for two years in the U.S. Army as a military policeman in Korea. Upon completion of his service, Edwards earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Bridgeport. He later earned an MBA from New York University.

Edwards is survived by his wife Nerisa and her son, six children, 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.