Edna D. Friel

Mrs. Edna D. Friel, 66, of Decatur, Georgia, died Friday, January 18, of respiratory failure. She was born in Belfry, Montana, on October 31, 1941, the daughter of Burthel R. Daugherty and Lenore Snyder Daugherty, and grew up in Cody, WY, and Mountain View, CA. She began her Bell Telephone Company career in 1959, married John M. (Jack) Friel of Philadelphia, PA, in 1960, and then transferred within the Bell System as they moved to Eugene, OR, where she earned her Ph.T., "Putting Hubby Through" the University of Oregon. In spite of Jack's assignments as a Public Health Advisor with CDC in San Francisco, CA, Olympia, WA, Washington, DC, Syracuse, NY, and Atlanta, she continued to earn promotions, moving from Service Representative to Human Resources Interviewer, Employment Office Manager, Human Resources Manager, and Administrator of the AT&T Century Chapter of the Telephone Pioneers of America in Atlanta, before she retired in 1995. She was an active Life Member of the Georgia Area Pioneers. She loved reading, watching the Atlanta Braves, sailing on Lake Lanier and St. Simons Sound, traveling in Europe, and visiting many States in the USA. She particularly loved Maine, and she and Jack vacationed there often. Edna had a wonderful way with people and touched many lives with her beautiful smile and positive attitude. Edna was a member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Decatur. She is survived by her husband of 47 years, and brothers, James V. Daugherty of Forestville, CA, and William P. Daugherty of Medford, OR, their wives, and several nieces and nephews in California, Oregon, and Washington. The body was cremated. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Hospice Atlanta, The St. Vincent DePaul Society, or a charity of your choice. A. S. Turner & Sons