Edwin Alan Biggs of Idaho Springs, Colo., died in Denver on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, in the company of his loving and beloved family.
He was born Oct. 2, 1941, in Olmstead Falls, Ohio, to J. Alan and Betty Anne Biggs, the first of five children and the only son.
Ned is survived by his wife, Jeanne, and son, William; his four sisters, Sandra Okelberry, Parmelee Lippincott, Betty Anne Biggs and Martha Kay Biggs; eight nieces and nephews; 12 great-nieces and nephews and a host of in-laws and steps.
He was predeceased by his and Jeanne’s daughter Gretchen Elizabeth, his parents and his nephew John Alan Lippincott.
Although he moved with his family to homes in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, his character was largely formed at the last family residence, Windy Willow Farm, in Gardenville, Bucks County, Pa. There he and his sisters roamed the fields and woods, attended the last one-room schoolhouses in service in the area, rode horses with Huntingdon Valley Hunt, built hay-bale forts in the stable loft, swam on the Fanny Chapman swim team and spent hours on or in the farm pond. Ned trapped and skinned muskrats, hunted and shot skeet, read persistently, hiked the region, absorbed local history and legends and looked for Doan treasure. He bragged that he’d skipped more than 40 days one year at Central Bucks High School without getting caught.
Ned attended Solebury School, graduated from Central Bucks in 1959, attended South Dakota School of Mines and earned his accounting degree at Rider College. He also holds master’s degrees from DePaul University and Colorado School of Mines. Gaining a CPA early in his career, he worked for various companies before launching his own accounting firm in Doylestown in the late 1970s. Despite compromised health from his Type 2 diabetes, he continued to work until just weeks before his passing.
An avid cyclist from his youth, Ned continued to enjoy long rides well into his 70s. He participated in the Covered Bridge Century through Bucks County for several years and many other challenging rides that included grueling mountainous treks after he moved to Colorado in 1980.
Ned “lived in the moment with his heart in the past.” He loved books, history of all times and places, the outdoors, solitude, Janis Joplin and Johnny Cash, playing practical jokes and exhibiting inappropriate behavior. He loved his family and was loyal to his longtime friends – many of whom were clients. He lived life on his own terms and was slow to accept change, especially advances in technology. Ned had a prodigious memory for dates, names, events and minute details on a multitude of subjects. In a nutshell: He read, counted money and knew things.
On Saturday, Oct. 1, he received Masonic rites in Georgetown, Colo. A graveside service was held at Alvarado Masonic-Georgetown Cemetery, followed by a reception for family and friends at the historic Argo Mill in Idaho Springs.
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.
