After a courageous battle with cancer and leukemia, Ed Rigg of Staunton, VA was taken into the loving arms of God on Thursday, July 18, surrounded by his family. Ed was born in Green Cove Springs, FL on February 26, 1958. As part of a Navy family, grew up in several places, but called Norfolk, VA 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.
Ed served as the associate/youth pastor at Christ UMC in Lakewood, NJ until 1983. He served under full-time appointment for more than 40 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 cofounding 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 chairs of the district Committees on Ministry for the Farmville and Charlottesville districts.
Ed is survived by his loving wife of over 44 years, Susan, son, Thomas Rigg, and husband, Wayne Berry, of Louisa, VA, daughter, Rebekah, husband, Brad, and grandchildren, Hadley and Calvin Pennington, of Strasburg, VA, brothers Jim Rigg of Jacksonville, FL, and Richard Rigg of Chesapeake, VA, 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.
Visitation with the family will be held at Verona UMC in Verona, VA on Saturday, July 27 at 10:00am followed by a celebration of life led by Reverends Sean Gundry and Shawna Hiner at 11:00am with a reception after the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ed’s memory to the Emily Couric Cancer Center at UVA Medical Center, Hospice of the Piedmont or charity of one’s own choosing.
