Edward Odell Cornell passed away on Monday, January 8, 2018 after a long and stoic battle with pancreatic cancer.

Ed was born in St. Louis, Missouri on July 5, 1954 where he grew up with his parents Spencer and Ida Cornell, and sister Rochelle. He graduated from Sumner High School in 1972. Later in life he attended classes at Forest Park Community College and joined the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. Early in life he worked at McDonnell Douglas as a welder, but his main career path was with Bi-State/Metro. He started driving busses for Metro in 1994 before transitioning to the Metro Link. He officially retired in January 2018, despite his health having already started to fail him two years prior.

An important part of Ed’s life was his faith as a Buddhist. He joined the Nichiren Shoshu sect of the Myogyoji Temple (Chicago, IL) over 40 years ago and was a faithful member up until his passing. He was one of the only consistent male members of his local sect, and a devout practitioner of the Buddhist tenets of faith in his day-to-day life. He was a reliable and dependable member of his Buddhist community, often volunteering to organize and drive his fellow members to different events and ceremonies all over the country. He also traveled several times with them to Japan to visit the home temple of their faith.

Ed was known for being a gentle soul. He was quiet, caring, loyal and a hard worker who was dedicated to his job, his friends and his family. He had a passion for music (Motown), classic cars and the Cardinals. The type of peace and stability that he radiated to those around him was a pleasant light in this world that will be truly missed.

Edward leaves behind: his father, Spencer Cornell; his sister, Rochelle Cornell; his aunts, Sallie DuMaine and Denise DuMaine; his uncle, Robert Cornell; his close cousin, Patricia (Harry) Penelton; as well as a host of other cousins, relatives and friends.

Services: A memorial gathering will be held on Friday, January 26, 2018, from 3:00 pm-5:00 pm at the chapel of St. Louis Cremation, 2135 Chouteau Ave., St. Louis MO 63103 where the members of his sect will perform a Buddhist rite in honor of his passing followed by a period of time for visiting and sharing of memories. Flowers and cards are welcome and may be sent to St. Louis Cremation at address above. A repast will be held immediately following the service at Centennial Christian Church, 4950 Fountain Ave., St. Louis MO 63113.