Edward Neal Caldwell

Edward Neal Caldwell, age 85, died on July 26, 2018 in Knoxville Tennessee after a short illness. He is survived by his wife Alice; two children David N. Caldwell (Nancy) of Knoxville and Laura C. (Mark) Sansbury of Florence SC; and 6 grandchildren: Andrew, Laura and Peter Caldwell and Julia, Grace and Margaret Sansbury. He is preceded in death by his daughter Ellen C. Hagler and brother Donald Caldwell. He was born on November 26, 1932 in Knoxville to Edward and Virginia Snoddy. Neal graduated from Knoxville High School in 1951, and then from the University of Tennessee in 1954 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and physics. He married Alice Morrow in 1954. Last year they celebrated 64 years of marriage. After moving to New Haven Connecticut immediately after their wedding to work for Winchester Repeating Arms, he returned to Knoxville to work for Robertshaw-Fulton Sylphon where he designed thermostatic controls until he started his own business Dalen Products in 1975. At Dalen he worked well past retirement age until a few weeks ago when illness forced him to significantly curtail his duties. He was a highly innovative problem-solver with dozens of US patented inventions to his name. His inventions primarily pertained to landscaping and vegetable gardening where even 45 years after he started in business, Dalen Products still maintains its primary focus. In more recent years he dedicated himself to finding low-cost means of purifying water for the developing world. He patented the method used in the production of Tiva water filters which are currently being distributed to poverty-stricken areas of Africa and Central America, as well as in Haiti. Neal was committed to Christian philanthropy, particularly in the areas of higher education, prison ministry and the care of the homeless. He served for years on numerous non-profit boards. He was a devout churchman, and a lifelong Presbyterian, who taught Sunday School and small group Bible studies for decades. He also served for a number of years both as a deacon and an elder. He was actively engaged in the study of Christian apologetics, specializing in the intersection of science and faith. He was an active member at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church.In addition, he was an avid gardener, with an intensively landscaped 7 acre garden that is listed in the Smithsonian Institution’s Archive of American Gardens. He was a lover of the arts, with a large collection of painted works, portions of which he and his wife Alice donated to the King University Museum of Fine Arts in Bristol Tennessee, where he served for years on the college’s Board of Trustees. He also had a great love of classical music, and he traveled the country and globe to attend major opera productions. A Memorial Service is scheduled for 2:00 PM on Monday July 30 in the chapel at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church. A Graveside Service for family will occur privately. The family will welcome friends at home (2703 Hawk Haven Lane) on Sunday afternoon July 29, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries (KARM), King University in Bristol TN or the Quinones Brain Tumor Research Laboratory at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville FL.

Tributes

Edward Neal Caldwell

July 26, 2018