Edith Rowland

EDITH HOKE ROWLAND
(1937-2023) 

Edith H. Rowland passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends at Paoli Hospital in Paoli, Pennsylvania, on September 6, 2023. She was 85 years old.

Edith was born to Theodore and Edith Hill in Greenville, South Carolina, and grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with her fraternal twin sister, Sally, and older brother, Ted. A graduate of Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania, she also received her associate degree in physical therapy from Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

A veteran educator, Edith spent more than 20 years at Episcopal Academy, then located in Devon and Merion, Pennsylvania, where she taught physical education and health. A strong tennis player and an avid swimmer, she taught and coached swimming in various capacities for over 40 years. She was also an experienced lifeguard who certified countless people young and old in lifesaving and CPR. 

Along with her beloved late husband, David, Edith had a passion for the performing arts. She was a member of the Chester County Choral Society, Sunshine Singers and various other vocal groups.  A loving, exceedingly generous mother, wife, grandmother and aunt, Edith is survived by her two sons, Hobart and David, foster son Jim Chambers, two daughters-in-law, Kimberly and Paige, and two grandchildren, Sophia and Kalen.


Edith would have been 86 years old on September 17. Join us as we celebrate her life on September 16, 2023, in a ceremony at Saint Francis-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church, with a reception to follow at the General Warren. Both are located in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Edith was a supporter of reproductive rights and a life-long nature lover with a knack for gardening. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Planned Parenthood. Or we invite you to plant a tree in her name through the Arbor Day Foundation.