Scott Shafer’s opening statement in his weekly press conference Thursday morning at 10 a.m. had nothing do with football. Instead, it dealt with a matter that has pervaded nearly the entire Syracuse University Athletics community since Saturday.

Shafer shared his condolences for the Edson family after the passing of Rob Edson, former chief financial officer and senior associate director of athletics at Syracuse and Onondoga Community College athletic director. Edson died at the age of 45 of an apparent heart attack while mowing his lawn Saturday.

Sue Edson, Rob’s wife, is currently the assistant athletics director/communications for SU. She and her children, Thomas, 14, and Tracy, 11, are heavily involved in the SU Athletics sphere.

“Our hearts and prayers and thoughts go out to the Edson family during a very difficult time,” Shafer said.

On Thursday at 11 a.m., following Shafer’s press conference, he and other members of the community filled Hendricks Chapel to commemorate the life of Rob Edson. Rob worked for Syracuse for 21 years before accepting a job at OCC and working there for three years.

At the memorial service, six people close to Rob spoke about how he affected their lives. His son Thomas delivered a touching speech about how his dad used to goofily dance when they played Just Dance on the Wii, how Thomas had the best summer of his life driving with his dad to lacrosse tournaments just a few months ago and how his dad would always let him play pop music in the car.

Edson’s brother-in-law, Steven Cornelius, his colleagues at OCC David Murphy and Brittany Almonte, his co-worker at SU Barbara Henderson — the woman who first hired him — and his sister Deborah Butler spoke about the lasting legacy that Rob Edson left on their lives.

Butler closed the reflection period with a poem she found that she felt related perfectly to her brother. The poem detailed how friends and family shouldn’t dwell on the death, but rather celebrate and focus on the positives. It was what Edson would have wanted. Several members of the audience teared up before prayers and hymns were offered and the ceremony ended.

Former Syracuse and current Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone attended the funeral, serving as a pall bearer. Marrone was emotional after winning the first game of his NFL career on Sunday. Though he won the game, he lost an extremely close friend in Rob Edson.

“I know that Rob was watching,” Marrone told reporters after the Bills’ 24-23 win over the Carolina Panthers, “and I can’t stop thinking about that.”

Several members of the Syracuse football team stocked the center of the upper balcony during the service, including quarterback Terrel Hunt, center Macky MacPherson and running back Jerome Smith. The memorial concluded at 12:35 p.m. with a rousing rendition of the SU Fight Song.

“We look to try to get a victory for that family,” Shafer said, “to try to put a smile on their face here this weekend.”

Published on September 19, 2013 at 3:40 pm

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