Gary Edwards, whose words and photos graced the pages of this newspaper from 1997-2013, passed away recently.

His death was not marked with the fanfare one would expect from a photographer whose work was featured in major national publications before settling into Wood County life in 1994.

And that’s the way he wanted it, apparently.

A few social media posts spread the word, and that’s about it.

As you might imagine, a small-town newspaper having someone of Gary’s talents quickly saw the quality of its already top-notch work escalated even more.

Though Gary was principally a photographer before joining the staff here, he quickly showed the knack for story telling with words as well.

And as is typical of community journalism, he did it all. Of course, he produced phenomenal sports photography, as that was his specialty. Not many high school teams in small towns have their games covered by such an esteemed professional.

He aimed his lens at everything else that goes on around here as well, from festivals to fires and wrecks. And his writing also covered a wide variety of subjects, from the typical (city council, school board) to features of all kinds and also many thought-provoking columns.

I had been aware of his reputation and the excellence of his work, as he won numerous awards from the regional and state press associations.

When former Winnsboro News editor Bryan Giguere planned the North and East Texas Press Association convention in 2017 in Sulphur Springs, Edwards was invited to give a presentation on sports photography.

It was more like a master class.

As Edwards told the County Line magazine in a 2014 feature story, sharing his knowledge had become as rewarding as his photography in his later years.

The room set up did not have a decent way for Edwards to display the poster-size blow ups of some of his best photos as he spoke about them.

I volunteered to hold them up for the small group.

Next thing I knew, I was holding the iconic photo of Jack Nicklaus at the 1986 Masters golf tournament with putter raised as he sank a birdie putt on his way to one of the more historic victories in pro golf history. It would be Jack’s last win at age 46 and his record 18th major championship.

It also yielded one of those oft-repeated broadcast calls when CBS and former Dallas sportscaster Verne Lundquist exclaimed, “Yes, sir!” as that putt dropped.

The photo was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

I got chill bumps just holding it.

Gary did drop in a couple times right after we bought the Monitor for all-too-brief visits.

He continued to shoot photos after giving up a regular paycheck, taking many nature photos around the area while enjoying the rural lifestyle that first led him to Wood County.

The coverage of his retirement reception at the Monitor office in August 2013 said the place was packed.

There were a couple letters of tribute published as well.

I know this community appreciated having Gary to tell its stories.

Telling Gary’s story would require many pages. I encourage you to read that article from County Line, then go to easttexasreflections.com and read even more as well as view a cornucopia of his wonderful photos.

It will be time well spent and ample evidence of a life well lived.