Jennifer Edwards Tidd

Jennifer Edwards Tidd passed away peacefully on July 2, 2025 with her two children by her side.

Born on November 19th, 1955 in Key West, Florida, Jennifer and her twin sister Cynthia were daughters of the late Captain Fredrick A. Edwards Jr. and his wife Alice. As a Navy family that included older brothers Fred and Chris, they moved up and down the East Coast, landing periodically in Annapolis, Maryland, where she graduated from Annapolis High School in 1973. Growing up, Jennifer learned, like her father, to love sailing, and learned, like her mother, to love drawing and painting, particularly watercolors. She would share her passion for art with her loved ones for the rest of her years.

As a high school student in Annapolis, Jennifer was involved in the ministry of Young Life. Through this ministry, she came to know Christ, and after graduating from Longwood College, joined the staff of Young Life at Dale House in Colorado. This ministry focused on helping troubled youth and runaways while sharing the Gospel with them.

While at Dale House, she met the son of a Navy admiral, a striking young man named Mark Tidd. He drove a red Ford Mustang with a “Go Navy” bumper sticker. Having caught each other’s eye, they were married on April 12, 1980. Soon after, Mark became a Navy Chaplain, and the two went on to travel the world together. While stationed in Japan, they welcomed their first child, Michael, and on an early Christmas morning a year later in New Jersey, they welcomed their daughter Carol.

Jennifer’s joyful outlook on life, and her unconquerable thirst for fun and adventure took her climbing to the top of Mount Fuji, sailing with the Tall Ships in the Narragansett Bay of Rhode Island, chasing camels across the deserts of Bahrain, touring through the medieval castles of Germany, driving across the Great Plains of the United States, and hundreds of other adventures across the world.

Jennifer captured snapshots of her travels and adventures as only she could in the form of her beautiful watercolor paintings, and the funnier moments in her hilarious cartoons.

Jennifer is survived by her children, Michael (wife Brittany) and Carol Hagan (husband Nate); and grandchildren Emmett, Owen, and Evan; her brothers Fred Edwards (wife Sun), Chris Edwards (wife Becky), her twin sister Cynthia, and an incredible bunch of loving nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to the Military Community Youth Ministries in Jennifer’s honor, to continue the ministry that was so dear to her and Mark.

A Memorial Service will be held in Jennifer’s honor on August 9, 2025 at 1:00pm at Restoration Anglican Church, 1815 N Quincy St, Arlington, VA. A reception with light refreshments to follow after the service.

There is very limited parking in the church lot and on the street, so the church uses the lot over I-66 that is located at the corner of Quincy and 15th Street. There will be a shuttle available from the lot to the church, so please allow extra time (approximately 15 minutes) for parking. Here is a link to the parking lot location:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HgZfK522aa5wjJFz9

Donate In Honor of Jennifer Tidd