Be safe. Stay Strong.
C. Edward McVaney (Ed) of Denver, went to be with the Lord, June 4, age 79
country in a way he had not been able to do as a young man. Despite those around him thinking he was crazy, Ed was born on December 29th, Ed volunteered to work 1940, in Omaha, Nebraska, and for the Iraqi transitional was the third of four boys. His de- government following sire for knowledge and his strong the second gulf war. Ed lived in a work ethic were apparent even as trailer behind Saddam Hussein’s a young man. He managed to pay palace and helped develop a datahis way through Creighton Prep base to track the bad guys. by raising white lab mice in his Even in his “retirement,” Ed’s acbasement and tending the pigs for tive mind was engaged in solving the local veterinarian. today’s technology and business Despite challenges with dyschallenges. In 2016, Ed founded lexia, Ed graduated in Mechanical Nextworld, a next-generation Engineering from the University ERP software company, run by his of Nebraska. He went on to earn daughter Kylee. his MBA from Rutgers University, Ed believed in education and followed by his CPA. He married the importance of giving young the love-of-his life, Carole, in 1963, people more opportunities. He and they made Colorado home, was guided by his faith to give raising their three children, Kylee, deeply of his time and his finances, Kevin, and Keith. mostly to assist the vulnerable and An unconventional visionary, in underserved. Ed volunteered as a 1977 Ed co-founded J.D. Edwards, probation officer and mentored at an ERP software company. Before risk young men. the concept of corporate culture Later into Ed’s retirement, he was popular, Ed created and developed a passion for distilling lived out the J.D. Edward culture wisdom in a way that young document where honoring God people could appreciate and was the #1 corporate ideal. J.D. more easily absorb. Ed’s two most Edwards grew from three employ- significant retirement projects ees to 5,200 employees in over were Tip Toeing Through the Clas107 countries and was eventually sics and The Great Conversation. purchased by PeopleSoft/Oracle Tip Toeing Through the Clasin 2002. sics is a two-volume guidebook Never one to sit still for long, for citizen scholars. Ed partnered a mere year after retiring, Ed with students from Valor Christian took an opportunity to serve his High School to comprehensively
June 11, 2020 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 17
summarize the classics, from Aristotle and Moses to the modern era. The Great Conversation is a collection of 12 booklets written to his grandchildren. It gave Ed no greater joy than to have his friends and grandchildren dissect his writings. Ed wanted nothing more than for them to think and think deeply. Ed’s passions were fly-fishing, antique cars, golfing, and ranching. No matter how much success he achieved, the most important things to Ed were family and faith. His greatest desire was that his children and grandchildren would surpass him with the fruits of the spirit: to be more joyful, more peaceful, more patient than himself. His prayer was, “Thank you Lord. May we be a blessing to others.” Surviving Mr. McVaney is his devoted wife of 57 years, Carole; children, Kylee and her husband Gerry, Kevin and his wife Colleen and Keith and his wife Suzie, all of Denver, Colorado, well as nine deeply loved grandchildren (Samuel, Ben, Victoria, Charlie, Josh, Colman, Caroline, Thomas, and Rose Marie). Memorial service live stream, Friday June 12th at 3:30 MST at www.mcvaney.org/memorial
I am really angry at Ed McVaney BY JON CALDARA INDEPENDENCE INSTITUTE
I found out over the weekend that a good friend of Independence Institute, and a friend of mine, Ed McVaney had passed away. And just like his style in most everything during his life, he was quiet about the illness that took him. And because of that, I didn’t know he was going to leave us. I couldn’t say thank you for all he did for Independence, and for me. And he probably wouldn’t want me to thank him anyway. He preferred to do things that way, the quiet way. That is so damn Ed. Ed lived the American Dream and then used his wealth to protect the American Dream. When I hear that a poor person can’t get ahead in America, I immediately think of people like Ed, who was raised in poverty. Through hard work and the economic opportunities that this country still offers, he used his mind to help create the software firm JD Edwards in 1977. This made him a wealthy man, an evil one-percenter. Although he prided himself on his quiet nature, his deeds were anything but quiet. He had two great passions beyond his family, Jesus Christ and the Founders’ vision of America. And other than
a few ridiculous cars, (nothing like watching him park his Hummer at a restaurant full of social-justice progressives) he used his wealth to build people’s understanding of Christ and of Liberty, always doing so quietly. I won’t embarrass him by listing what he did with his evil one-percent wealth, what he gave away, except to say that countless children have and are receiving educations their families could have never afforded. Churches are serving families they never could have served. And people in Colorado, in fact around the world, are learning about why we should remain free to risk our own time and resources to pursue our dreams, so that we too might taste success and pass it on. He has touched more lives than he could ever know. So many people’s lives are better because of his giving, and they will never know it came from him, this quiet Christian. For me personally I am grateful for the deep and often painful fights I had with Ed in the wake of losing my daughter to cancer some 19 years ago. Ed, always comforted by God’s love and me, well, not so comforted by it, went at it over why my little girl had to die. Without ever preaching, Ed
comforted me and listened to my anguish. Why would a man of Ed’s stature and wealth care about what I was going through, and on a such personal level? Because, I think, he was fearless in looking at the universe and saw me as an equal man. Damn one-percenter. Ed, I’m angry at you for not letting me thank you properly for all you did and for the friendship we have. I’m angry at you for not allowing me to apologize to you for anything I might have said during those great philosophical battles we had. And I’m angry at you for dying at this time in history when people of your clarity and passion for Freedom are needed more than ever. We are in a pitched battle for that America you love, the America where a poor kid from Nebraska can achieve what you did. Perhaps I am most angry because you were my brother-in-arms. Who will show up on the front lines to defend the Founders’ vision? Who will step up and take Ed’s place fighting for a Colorado where we are free to make our own decisions? Will it be you? And Ed, thanks for the many beers we had over the years. Think Freedom, Jon
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