Edward Lewis Cleveland

Edward “Ed or Eddie” Lewis Cleveland, an original, self-proclaimed “Denizen of D.C.,” was born in Washington, District of Columbia on November 14, 1942 to Esther Naomi Cleveland and Norman Eugene Cleveland.  He passed away suddenly after a diagnosis of late stage Pancreatic Cancer on August 19th, 2017in Wilmington, Delaware. He graduated from White Plains High School and Howard University, where he co-founded the not-a-fraternity affectionately known as the Nu Gams, or Nu Gamma Alpha, which secretly meant “No Got Average.” Eddie also attended Harvard Business School, where he received his Masters of Business Administration in 1974.  

Well-known in D.C. for co-founding the southern cuisine restaurant W.H. Bone & Company in the late 1970’s, which had the tagline of “Chittlins’ on China,” Eddie's restaurant quickly became a favorite amongst the local glitterati of the D.C. Metro Area, as well as the Senators and Congressmen from the south.  As a life-long Business Consultant, Ed was a Clinton Appointee to the Small Business Administration to work on solving the "access to capital" conundrum faced by so many businesses owned by people of color.  

Ed was also a lifelong aficionado of Jazz.  He was pre-deceased by his parents, his younger sister Doris Cleveland Christmas and niece Kirsten Suzanne Lee.  He is survived by his two children Lisa Simone Cleveland and Edward Cleveland, his older sister Norma Jean Lee, nephews Kyle Scott Lee, Pastor Kevin Sean Lee and Jonathan Matthew Christmas, as well as his beloved grandchildren Zoë, Xander and Benno Broncel and a plethora of cousins.