Reverend Edward "Ed" F. Rigg

After a courageous battle with cancer and leukemia, Edward "Ed" Franklin Rigg, 66, of Staunton, VA was taken into the loving arms of God on Thursday, July 18, 2024, surrounded by his family. 

Ed was born in Green Cove Springs, FL on February 26, 1958. As part of a Navy family, he grew up in several places, but called Norfolk, VA his home. Ed graduated from Maury High School in 1976 and went on to receive a B.A. in Philosophy and Religion from Virginia Wesleyan College and his Masters of Divinity from the Theological School at Drew University in Madison, NJ. 

Ed served as the associate/youth pastor at Christ United Methodist Church in Lakewood, NJ until 1983. He served under full-time appointment for more than forty years in the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He was first ordained as a Deacon in 1982 and was ordained as an Elder in 1998. His first church was Joliff UMC in Chesapeake where he served there until 1989. He also served Beth Horon UMC in Natural Bridge Station (1989-98), Parrish Court UMC in Covington (1998-2004), Zion UMC in Zion Crossroads (2004-06), Main Street UMC in South Boston (2006-16), Ivy Creek UMC in Charlottesville (2016-22), and Verona UMC in Verona (2022-24). 

Ed was passionate about serving others and impacted many lives throughout his ministry. This included co-founding the Natural Bridge/Glasgow Food Pantry in Glasgow and the Jane Jones Food Pantry at Main Street UMC in South Boston, participating in countless service projects and mission trips, and serving on the Board of Directors for Virginia United Methodist Family Services, the Virginia Conference Commission on Disabilities, and, for ten years, as the chair of the district Committees on Ministry for the Farmville and Charlottesville districts. 

Ed is survived by his loving wife of over forty-four years, Susan; his son, Thomas Rigg, and his husband, Wayne Berry, of Louisa, VA; his daughter, Rebekah and her husband, Brad; his grandchildren, Hadley and Calvin Pennington, of Strasburg, VA; his brothers, Jim Rigg of Jacksonville, FL, and Richard Rigg of Chesapeake, VA; his sisters, Cherryl Hartman and Pat Rodriguez, of Virginia Beach, VA; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. 

He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Joan B. and James E. Rigg; his siblings, Connie Brown and John Rigg; and his son, Paul Rigg. 

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at Verona United Methodist Church in Verona, VA with the Reverends Sean Gundry and Shawna Hiner officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service, beginning at 10:00 AM. A reception will follow the service in the church fellowship hall.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ed’s memory to the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center at UVA Medical Center (1240 Lee Street, Charlottesville, VA 22903), Hospice of the Piedmont (675 Peter Jefferson Parkway, Suite 300, Charlottesville, VA 22911), or a charity of one’s own choosing.