When Maxine Edwards arrived at King’s Grant this winter, she brought with her a doctorate in education, decades of experience as a principal, and a small dog named Duchess who has quickly become a regular at the community’s dog park.
Edwards, who has been a resident for about a month, is accustomed to new beginnings.
She grew up on a dairy farm along the Maryland and Pennsylvania border, where the house sat in Maryland but parts of the farmland stretched into Pennsylvania. She describes her childhood as happy and grounded in faith, shaped by church and family. She had only one sibling, a rarity for her generation, and a strong sense of stability that would carry into her adult life.
After earning her degree at Towson State University, Edwards became a reading specialist and later taught at the university’s demonstration school, where educators observed her classroom instruction. She went on to receive a government grant to pursue a doctorate in education supervision at the University of Maryland, traveling the country to present innovative approaches to teaching and curriculum.
Her career eventually took her to Georgia, where she helped establish a middle school in a rural county that had never had one. As principal, she hired her own faculty and implemented progressive strategies at a time when team teaching and cross disciplinary learning were still gaining traction.
“We were able to do some exciting things,” she said.
After retiring from public education, Edwards returned to school once more, enrolling at Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta. She shifted her focus to new church development within the Presbyterian Church, helping to establish congregations in areas without existing churches. In the early stages, services were often held in school buildings before permanent sanctuaries were built.
“I was very good at going to school and retiring,” she said with a smile.
Edwards met her husband through a recommendation from her school secretary, who suggested a financial advisor she trusted. The couple married and spent 30 years together. He supported her through doctoral studies and seminary, as well as her work in both schools and churches.
When he died nine years ago, Edwards decided it was time to downsize. She moved to Virginia to be closer to her daughter, now a pastor in Martinsville. For eight years, she lived near Smith Mountain Lake before deciding to relocate again, this time to King’s Grant.
Family proximity played a role in her decision, as did a recommendation from a nurse who had once told her that if she ever chose a continuing care retirement community, King’s Grant would be her pick.
So far, Edwards says she is settling in, though the transition has required effort. There are boxes to unpack and routines to establish. However, certain amenities made the move easier. The dog park ensures Duchess is welcome, and on-site electric vehicle charging accommodates Edwards’ all electric car.
Music remains central to her life. A longtime choir member and voice student, she is exploring how to continue her lessons locally and plans to become involved in her daughter’s church choir.
She is also an avid reader, currently working her way through a James Patterson mystery.
As she arranges her sewing room and meets neighbors, Edwards appears to be doing what she has done throughout her life: building connections and embracing the next opportunity to serve.
“I’ve had a wonderful life,” she said. “And I’m looking forward to this chapter, too.”
For now, that chapter includes morning walks with Duchess, nearby family and a community that feels, she says, both welcoming and familiar.
