Edward Franklin Bavis, 97, passed away in the early morning April 23, 2026, in Wesley Chapel, Florida.

He was born on April 10, 1929 in Cincinnati, Ohio. In his early life, he was adopted by two loving parents, Guy and Cecille Bavis. Over the course of his long and full life, Edward made his home in Batavia, Ohio, and spent his winters in Wesley Chapel, Florida.

Ed was a proud U.S. Veteran, serving time in the Army. He was a graduate of Hughes High School, he earned his Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati, and went on to complete a Master of Business Administration at Xavier University.

A man of many interests, his hobbies included fishing and soccer; he also earned his private pilot’s license and enjoyed spending his time on the water sailing. Ed was a very generous man. Having been adopted as a child, Ed was eternally grateful for the opportunities he was given, and in turn he was committed to giving other children the same chance to thrive as he had. He established a scholarship fund that provided full college scholarships for young people and was a proud supporter of the Florida Sheriffs Boys Ranch.

Edward is survived by his loving wife and partner for life, Kathy; his son, David Bavis (Xiaozhen); and his grandchildren, Matthew, Kyle, and Kara. He is also survived by his special niece and goddaughter, Joy Tessi.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Guy and Cecille Bavis.

Special thanks to his dear friend, Linda Wable. The family would also like to thank his caregivers, Maribel Hernandez and Viviana Manriquez, for their devoted care and support.

He deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. And as Ed always said: "keep smiling."

A celebration of Edward’s life will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio, and in Wesley Chapel, Florida, with dates and times to be announced at a later date.