Ms. Benn Edney fass

Benn Edney fass quietly passed away Thursday morning, May 15th, 2014 at her home after 15 months of declining health. She was the daughter of R. Hubert & Evylen Edney, born on a snowy day, October 23rd, 1928 in Asheville at Aston Park Hospital. She graduated from St. Genevieve’s-of-the-Pines and attended Salem Academy. She was active in her youth in ACT, St. Mary’s Church & all things involving her daughter. She loved to travel from an early age and visited Cuba, Mexico, the Caribbean, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand as well as many states from Hawaii and the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State to Maine and many states in between. A favorite trip was a week’s cruise on the Mississippi Queen up the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Vicksburg and back with her daughter and fiancé. She made her home here in Asheville, but had lived in Mobile, Alabama; Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville, Florida and Texas briefly. She was an entrepreneur, instrumental in establishing Kentucky Fried Chicken in Asheville in the early 60’s and establishing Mail Boxes Etc. in Asheville in the mid 80’s. She continued the family’s generational interests in commercial real estate also. She loved her home and yards of over 50 years and held many wonderful and memorable parties inside and out. She was the consummate hostess. Benn had exquisite taste in decorating and collecting. She was a fine artist both in pastels, watercolor & oil as well as china painting many lovely and personal pieces of art. She was enamored of Peanut’s Woodstock and spent decades building her unique collection. She is predeceased by her parents, her brother, R. Hubert Edney, Jr., her brother-in-law, Robert A. Rabbino and her sister-in-law, Louise Rabbino Pappin. She is survived by her daughter Benn Edney Fass, Jr and fiancé John T. Pickering, sister-in-law Evelyn C. Rabbino, nephews Roscoe H. Edney III, Robert A. Rabbino, Jr., and William C. Rabbino and nieces Debra Edney James and Jane B. Rabbino Miller, and their beautiful families. She was beloved by those who knew her and adopted her daughter’s friends as her own and their children, too. She will be missed by her diverse and multi-generational friends throughout the Asheville community and the world. The family is very grateful to her excellent doctors, especially Dr. Michael Messino at Cancer Care and his special staff, her compassionate caregivers Karen, Kody, Renae and Eunice, and CarePartners Hospice. Morris Funeral Home, 304 Merrimon Ave., is assisting her family. Visitation will be at Morris Funeral Home on Monday, May 19th from 6 to 8 p.m. Graveside service will be in her family plot at Calvary Cemetery in Fletcher, Tuesday May 20th at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Benn’s honor to Carolina Day School, The St. Genevieve’s – Mother Potts Memorial Scholarship, attention: Ashly Maag, 1345 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803.

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Ms. Benn Edney fass

October 23, 1928 - May 15, 2014