Uncrowned Community Builders

Edward Herndon, Sr. was born in Kings Mountain, North Carolina on November 10, 1930. His father, Hubert Herndon, and his mother, Anna B. Herndon, later moved their family to Washington, DC before eventually settling in Lackawanna, New York.

He excelled at Lackawanna High School and upon graduation made the life-changing decision to enlist in the United States Air Force. He served two tours of duty in Korea and Japan between 1946 and 1950. Although he received an honorable discharge in June 1950, Edward continued to serve his country as an Air Force Reservist until 1956.

Ed married Jean Ruth Watts in 1956 and remained married to her for fifty-four years until her passing in 2014. From that union three children, Gladys "G.G.", Brian C., and Eric D. He is also the father of Joan, the late Edward Jr., the late Michael, Gina, nine grandchildren, and eighteen great-grandchildren. He, therefore, became a devoted father who never missed an activity in which his children were involved.

He worked for the United States Postal Service, Western Electric, and in maintenance for the City of Buffalo before being hired as a Real Estate Investigator for the City of Buffalo. He was appointed as Director of Real Estate for the City of Buffalo in 1957 and held that position until 1973, throughout that time Ed was active in local politics as a Committee Member and Zone Chairman with the Democratic Party. He also spent time working as a real estate broker and an airport representative at the Buffalo International Airport before retiring in 1989.

Ed has served for the last twenty-two years as a Member of the City of Buffalo's Board of Assessment Review. In addition to serving as a Democratic Committee Member and Zone Chairman, Edward Herndon, Sr.'s extensive political experience includes campaigning for candidates in the Masten and Ellicott Council Districts. He has worked closely alongside the likes of Cecil Brown, Jessica Johnson, Elnora Turner, Peter Crotty, Joe Crangle, and elected officials Delmar Mitchell, Horace "Billy" Johnson, George K. Arthur, William Stachowski, Anthony Masiello, and Buffalo's current Mayor, The Honorable Byron W. Brown.

He is a person with an unquenchable zest for life and at ninety-two (92) years old is actively involved at St. Philip's Episcopal Church, enjoys life, and is still very active in his community, including his service on the City of Buffalo's Assessment Review Board.