Cecilia Ursula “Petie” Edmonds Cavendish, age 83, passed away peacefully from complications of Parkinson’s Disease at Mt. Alverna Village Nursing Home in Parma, Ohio on Saturday, August 8, 2026, with her sister at her side.

Born in Charleston, Miss., on September 28, 1942, to Martha and Cecil Edmonds as her father was being sent overseas with the Army Air Corps, she grew up in West Memphis, Ark., where she lived down the street from her beloved maternal grandparents she called “Palpa and Mama”. At their hands, she developed lifelong passions for gardening and cooking as well as an intense love for animals.

She was a graduate of West Memphis High School, a member of Holy Cross Episcopal Church, and attended the University of Mississippi. Family lore said that she chose “Ole Miss” to simply spite her dad who was a devoted fan of The University of Arkansas. She was once seen waving an “Ole Miss” pennant on the Razorback fan bus to a football game, much to the chagrin of her parents. Fearless, independent and fierce, would become words to describe her throughout life.

In 1962, Petie was working as an assistant with her father’s company in Little Rock, Arkansas where she met and later married the love of her life, James B. “Jim” Cavendish. Though it was the 60s, they enjoyed music from an earlier time and often borrowed her father’s big band and Frank Sinatra albums. They were just shy of celebrating their 62nd anniversary when Jim passed away in October 2024.

Their daughter, Kimberly Lind, was born in 1963 and they relocated to Pine Bluff and later to West Memphis where their son, Stephen Patrick, was born in 1969.

Jim’s career in the insurance industry provided opportunities to travel the world. They also moved throughout Tennessee, living in Memphis, Chattanooga, Lebanon, Murfreesboro, and Manchester as well as in Roanoke, Va. Petie said she always loved middle Tennessee the best, though Jim maintained an affinity for Chattanooga. Manchester was their compromise.

In her early years, Petie was a member of the Jaycettes and a troop leader for the Girl Scouts of America and always a faithful and strong servant leader in the churches she attended. She was active in every community where she lived, showing up in the town councils, county boards, and planning commissions, often to advocate for her neighborhood and her neighbors.

She was creative and enjoyed sewing and needlepoint and later developed a talent for interior design. Petie beautifully restored early 1900s homes in Lebanon, Tenn. and Roanoke, Va. with a flair for Early American and French Country decor. This also led her to develop a small business restoring and reselling antique furniture. Her eye for color and her creativity were present throughout her life and in her last years, she still enjoyed using color pencils and pastels to make beautiful pictures of plants and animals.

Family and friends were always welcomed into her home and delighted by her gourmet meals and Southern hospitality. She demonstrated attention to detail that would rival that of five-star hotels.

Guests often joked that Petie ran a first-class bed-and-breakfast and would vie to get their “reservations” for holiday stays early.

While living in Roanoke, Va. in an area of town known as “Old Southwest”, Petie became a staunch advocate for preserving and restoring the historic neighborhood and led initiatives to keep out commercial activities and city encroachment while promoting green spaces and areas that young families could enjoy. Her efforts received recognition from the city and gratitude from Old Southwest residents.

Continuing her advocacy endeavors, Petie became director of Good Samaritan during her time in Manchester, Tenn., an organization supported by a coalition of area churches. She not only helped alleviate food insecurity in the area but also developed resources to address homelessness, inability to pay utility bills, and healthcare needs. Petie spoke passionately about Second Harvest and their work supporting regional food banks like Good Sam’s. She frequently donated funds, food, blankets and toys to the Coffee County Humane Society, where she had a hard time not bringing home a dog or cat whenever she visited.

In 2019, suffering from declining health, she and Jim decided to relocate to Parma, Ohio (near Cleveland) to live with Petie’s sister. They were able to enjoy several more years with family, despite their dislike of Cleveland's cold winters.

Petie was preceded in death by her daughter, Kimberly Lind, her husband, James B. Cavendish, her parents Cecil and Martha (nee Snodgrass) Edmonds, maternal grandparents Marcus and Allie (nee Griffin) Snodgrass, paternal grandparents Harold and Mollie (nee McElroy) Edmonds, her aunts, Maxine (Adolph “Tony”) Pirani, Qujette (Fred Wallace) Rush, and Ada Beatrice (Earl) Pearson as well as her beloved cousin whom she considered her little brother, Fred Wallace “Butch” Rush, Jr.

She is survived by her son, Stephen Patrick (Jennifer) of Nashville, Tenn.; her sister, Tracy (Donald) Patterson of Parma, Ohio; her sister-in-law Mary Ellen Cavendish Beiletti of Jacksonville, Fla.; nieces Jessica Hertter of Bartlett, Tenn., and Taffi (Joe) Deegan of Jacksonville Beach, Fla.; nephews Nathaniel Patterson of Parma, Ohio, and Rhett Beiletti of Jacksonville, Fla., as well as many cousins, grand-nieces, grand-nephews, and treasured friends.

The family would like to express appreciation to the staff of Mt. Alverna Village in Parma, Ohio, notably those in Memory Support, especially Walter, Eddie, Theresa, Bob, Tomi, Maria, Jennifer, Stephanie, Shondra “Tonya”, Jessica, Ray, Amy, Beth, Sister Angela, Sister Flaviana, Diamond and “Precious” for their devoted kindness and care, as well as the staff of Holy Family Hospice.

Services to be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, michaeljfox.org and the Coffee County Tennessee Humane Society, coffeehumane.org