Tire Industry Association

Site Updated: 7.24.08

Site Feedback

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	TIA Contact: Roy Littlefield
February 21, 2007	301-430-7280

Tire Industry Hall of Famer, George Edwards, Dies

Bowie, MD – (February 21, 2007) The Tire Industry Association (TIA) today announced that Tire Industry Hall of Famer, George Edwards, died on Monday, February 19, 2007, at the age of 85 from complications due to Alzheimer's disease. He died at his home in Fayetteville, West Virginia.

“It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of George Edwards,” said TIA Executive Vice President, Roy Littlefield. “George will be long-remembered for his many contributions to the industry.”

Edwards served in the U.S. Army Air Corps 90th Bombardment Group (Heavy) in the Pacific Theater during World War II. After his return, he left Denver to join one of the nation's largest tire retreading plants in Manchester, N.H., in the early 1950s. While in Manchester he began publishing a technical journal for the tire retreading and repair industry, Retreader’s Journal, a monthly publication that achieved a national and international circulation of over 3,000.

In 1954, the Central States Retreaders’ Association hired Edwards as their managing director. Shortly thereafter, the name was changed to the American Retreaders’ Association (ARA), which he co-founded. Edwards managed the ARA from 1954 to 1968, during which time the ARA’s annual Tire Retreading Conference and Trade Show drew upwards of 10,000 attendees at the three-day show. In 1968, Edwards became involved with the founding of the International Rubber Industries (IRI) — a corporation that amongst its products produced and manufactured tire retreading equipment, rubber mixing and extruding equipment; and tested new tires for the U.S. government. IRI also designed, tested and manufactured the world’s first all-steel automobile car tire.

The IRI was eventually phased out in the late 1970s and with Edwards’ extensive engineering and manufacturing background, he launched the final days of his 40-year career in the tire industry by becoming one of the nation’s leading tire failure analysts and expert witness on product liability litigation. In 1996 Edwards was inducted into the Tire Industry Hall of Fame. Finally, he created Edwards Photo, which was in operation for over 25 years.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Stephanie, and is survived by his three daughters, Lynn Vasil and husband, George, Carrie Insley and Gayle Hickey and husband, Peter; stepchildren, Christopher Sparks, Gregory Sparks and wife, Laura, and Elizabeth Wood and husband, David; grandchildren, Stephanie and husband, Billy, Candace Brook, Jordan, Aaron, Erica, Heather, Shane, Miles and Sarah; and two great grandchildren, Kaiyah and Kadin.

His wife of 28 years, Margo B. Rhodes Edwards, and daughter, Paula Thompson and husband, Randy, who cared for him in his final years, also survive him. Online condolences may be sent at www.tyreefuneralhome.com

# # #

TIA is an international association representing all segments of the tire industry, including those that manufacture, repair, recycle, sell, service or use new or retreaded tires, and also those suppliers or individuals who furnish equipment, material or services to the industry. The Tire Industry Association (TIA) has a history that spans more than 80 years and includes several name changes. Originally known as the National Tire Dealers & Retreaders Association (NTDRA), the organization gave birth over the years to the American Retreaders Association (ARA) and the Tire Association of North America (TANA). ARA changed its name to the International Tire & Rubber Association (ITRA) and merged with TANA in 2002 to form the current Tire Industry Association (TIA), which now represents every interest in the tire industry.

Download PDF of this Press Release

TIA News Archives: