Peters Township resident leaves nothing to chance on links and in life

Peter Edwards Jr. disagrees with Lefty Gomez. Unlike the late, great major league pitcher and five-time World Series winner, Edwards would rather be good than lucky. And, because he has relied on talent rather than chance, the Peters Township resident has succeeded in golf, business and life.
At age 97, he demands that he cards his age on the links. He continues to put in a full day of work at Brookside Lumber in Bethel Park. Plus, he relishes time spent with his family and friends.
So when he scored a hole-in-one recently, Edwards put the feat into perspective.
“Getting a hole-in-one is mostly luck,” he said of the ace scored June 16 on the 121-yard No. 5 hole at the St. Clair Country Club. “More important to me than a hole-in-one is the ability to shoot my age. My goal, and it’s a constant one every time I go out onto the course, is to shoot my age or better.”
At age 75, Edwards accomplished that objective. By April 13 of this year, he had reached his target 100 times.
“I don’t do it every year,” he said with a sigh. “You would think it would get easier every year but it gets tougher.”
So do the holes-in-one. For the record, Edwards has recorded three others. However, Edwards said his recent ace differed from the ones scored in Alabama, Florida and at the Nemacolin Country Club in Beallsville because he couldn’t see it. He has glaucoma.

Eleanor Bailey
Eleanor Bailey
Peter Edwards Jr. relaxes in his office at Brookside Lumber only days after scoring a hole-in-one at St. Clair Country Club. The 97-year-old businessman has recorded four aces in his life.
The eye disease doesn’t affect Edwards’ ability. “Age does that,” he explained. And, it doesn’t impact his putting, because he hasn’t been a good putter for 50 years, he added with another laugh.
“Glaucoma affects the most wonderful part of golf in that you can’t see if you hit a good shot but, then again, you can’t see the bad ones either,” he added.
Once he teed off, Edwards saw that his shot might be good. When his ball disappeared into the cup, everybody cheered. Workers at the country club were particularly pleased and proud of Edwards’ accomplishment. They are also amazed at his abilities considering his age and they are in awe that a multi-millionaire possesses a down-to-earth attitude.
Take Lane Dillon for example. The Ocean City resident works in the pro shop. The University of Maryland (East Shore) student played the course with Edwards recently. While Dillon drove the cart that carried the pair’s equipment, Edwards walked the course.
Noting he carried his bag until he was 94, Dillon said Edwards probably shoots his age and he plays about two rounds a week. At one point, he had a single-digit handicap. “He’s a good player,” Dillon added.
According to other club employees, Edwards is an even finer person.
“He’s a fabulous man. A super, super, wonderful human being,” Lorraine Chalfa said. “He’s delightful and full of energy.”
Edwards always possessed vitality. At 15, he started playing golf because his classmates caddied at South Park. They played from dawn to dusk.
“He played until his hands bled,” said his nephew, Gordon Edwards. “He loved the game so much.”
Edwards loved his country equally.
Once he graduated from Bethel Park in 1938 and while earning his degree in economics from Colgate University, Edwards left the links behind to serve his country. After he learned of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, he graduated a semester early and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He flew 49 missions as a bomber escort in a single-seat P-51 Mustang over Europe.
“When WWII started, we wanted to go. We wanted to get in there and fight. The whole country, guys and ladies, all worked. We were fighting to save the world from dictatorship. We were all fighting for the same cause. It was a wonderful thing.”
Fighting and flying nevertheless was harrowing. Edwards experienced several close calls. On his first training flight over Richmond, Va., as a result of a “fast-speed stall” Edwards “tumbled” from 25,000 feet to 3,000.
“I didn’t have time to get scared,” he explained. “I was busy getting the damn thing straightened out.”
Edwards recalled another mission. He was assigned to strafe a German locomotive transporting troops. At the tail end of the train was a boxcar that also carried anti-aircraft gunners.
“They started shooting at me before I could shoot at them,” he exclaimed. “Oh, it was a hard thing and hard times but you learned from the war what you could accomplish for the better good when you did it together and it also emphasized the way we felt about each other.”

Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Peter Edwards, Jr. works with Diana Lewandowski, left, and Hayden Norman at Brookside Lumber. Edwards is the chairman of the company located in Bethel Park and the Peters Township resident puts in a full day of work even today at the age of 97.
When he returned to the states, Edwards accomplished great things in business. He became chairman of the home-improvement empire founded by his father, P.S. Edwards., in 1926.
“Well,” said Edwards, who joined the firm with his brother, Frank, once he completed his service, “I had a lot of help.”
In the late 1940s and 50s, Edwards said Brookside Lumber was small but “good people” worked there. It was their life. Some started right out of school. Others worked until they retired or died. By the late 1960s, more family members got involved with the company as the Edwards’ clan expanded.
Married for 55 years, Edwards and his first wife, Ruth, had four children: Barbara Bancroft of Nashville, Tenn; Peter S. Edwards III of California; Sue Ann Means of Bethel Park (Allegheny County politician) and Mark Edwards of McMurray. For the past five years, Edwards has been happily married to his second wife, Adeline.
“His first love was Ruth,” Gordon said, “but Tootsie’s really a great gal. She’s good for my uncle.”
Edwards agreed that marriage has contributed to his longevity.
“How could I say otherwise?” he said.
Although he says that he has outlived his ancestors, Edwards also credits “good genes” and diet for his permanence. He consumes no fast food and doesn’t drink soda.
“He’s real health conscious,” Gordon said. “He always eats a salad for lunch and people complain about the garlic smell and he tells them to hold their nose.”
Against his nephew, Edwards holds his own when the pair play a round.
“When I’ve golfed with him, he’d just go up and drive the ball. No practice strokes and ask how many do you want to play,” Gordon said. “I’m worn out when I play 18 holes. But, he’s so fit.”
Edwards doesn’t wear out because he walks every day and not just during a round of golf. He works out two or three times a week.
“It’s not a stroll,” he emphasized.
But he does stroll down memory lane, recalling his long days on the fairways. He said he started playing as many holes in one day as his current age when he was 54. The last time he completed that challenge was 20 years ago. He played 77 holes on his 77th birthday. While there are not enough daylight hours for him to finish such a task today, Edward plans to continue golfing for as long as he is able.
“It’s a great sport. I love it. You are outside. It’s social. You are doing something athletic and it’s good exercise.
“Amen,” he concluded, “I’m glad I live in a country where I can play golf.”