This month’s Newtown Edgmont Friends & Neighbors featured family is Ed and Pantea Minnock and their two children, Kira and Tyler. The Minnocks certainly know how to enjoy life! Whether it’s traveling around the globe or welcom- ing friends and neighbors into their beautiful home, this family is always ready to make memories.
Pantea (pronounced Ponta) lived in many places long before arriving in Edgmont. Born in Iran, she spent parts of her childhood in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, before settling for her longest stretch in Bucks County. Her upbringing fostered adaptability, sensitivity and a comfort with diversity. Her family remains spread throughout the country. Pantea’s younger brother Parham lives with his family in Yardley. Her father lives in Glen Mills, her aunt in Garnet Valley and a cousin in Media. These connections provide an added layer of closeness and community nearby.
Education played a defining role in shaping Pantea, both professionally and personally. After attending several grade schools across different states and countries, she went on to graduate from Neshaminy High School in Langhorne. Her academic path took her to Penn State University, where she earned degrees in Bio Behavioral Health and Psychology before completing both her BSN and MSN at the University of Pennsylvania. The combination of science, compassion and communication that nursing requires felt naturally aligned with who she is.
Today, Pantea is a pediatric nurse practitioner at the Diabetes Center for Children at CHOP, where she has worked since 2008. Her work fulfills her in every possible way. “I absolutely love what I do,” Pantea said. “I love working closely with children and families, but am equally passionate about program development, research and innovation.” Her interests have continued to evolve, leading her toward deeper expertise in mindfulness ap- proaches to wellness, diabetes prevention and reducing healthcare disparities. Her passion for patient ed- ucation and community health extends far beyond the clinic walls.
Ed spent his childhood with his parents and his sister in Topeka, Kansas. He attended Bishop Elementary and Topeka West High School. After graduating from Penn State with a business degree in 1997, he spent nearly a decade living and working in New York City and earning his MBA in Finance from Rutgers in 2003. His career eventually led him into consumer banking, and he now works at Barclays in Wilmington. “I focus on credit card portfolios and unsecured lending strategy,” he explained. “I enjoy the fast pace of the work, but especially the challenge of understanding consumer behavior and the patterns that shape modern spending and financial decision making.”
The story of how Pantea and Ed met feels almost destined. Their paths first crossed at Penn State University in the spring of 1994 in a freshman English class. They became friends, then something more, then partners whose shared interests and complementary personalities created a natural and lasting bond. They were engaged in Central Park in December 2001, married in Mahwah, New Jersey in June 2003 and spent their early married life in motion.
Ed and Pantea lived in New York City for nine years, traveled for an entire year, which included visiting 22 countries, settled in Kansas for a short time and moved back to Pennsylvania in the summer of 2008. Their move to Conshohocken was meant to be temporary while they found the right home, and once they discovered Edgmont, they knew they had arrived somewhere special.
When Pantea and Ed moved to Edgmont in March of 2009, they hoped to find a community where they could plant lasting roots, raise their future family and feel surrounded by natural beauty without losing access to the culture and convenience of nearby cities. What they discovered exceeded their expectations. They found a community that reflects their values, embraces newcomers and offers the mix of peacefulness, opportunity and kindness that they now consider central to their daily lives. Although they still seek out travel whenever possible, Pantea and Ed also enjoy following Philadelphia’s sports teams, summer nights at Media’s Dining Under the Stars and the experience of getting to know a place through its people and its atmosphere.
Their life in Edgmont is centered around family and filled with activity. Their daughter Kira, now sixteen, attends Penncrest High School, where she is in eleventh grade. She loves soccer, track, skiing, reading and traveling. She serves as secretary on the teen board for Girls Spark, providing middle and high school girls with a safe, supportive and empowering environment where they can learn, collaborate and overcome adversity in facing today’s social issues. Her recent induction into the National Honor Society and her participation in language and math honor societies reflect her focus and motivation. “Kira is hardworking, confident, kind and thoughtful,” Pantea said. “She is someone who is studious and strong and a true joy to be around.” Kira recently earned her driver’s license, has plans to attend college and is considering a future career in nursing.
Their thirteen-year-old son, Tyler, is an eighth-grader at Springton Lake Middle School and the kind of kid who moves easily between sports, games and social life. He plays soccer, lacrosse, basketball and golf, and loves snowboarding in the winter. Like his sister, he is a strong student and was recently inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. “Tyler is funny, charismatic, smart and perceptive,” Ed remarked. “He notices things that others overlook and is an excellent gift giver because he always pays attention to what people truly enjoy.” Tyler also loves keeping an eye on the neighbors’ dogs, which has become a meaningful connection to the community.
The Minnocks have created a home that reflects both their personalities and their priorities. Much of this can be credited to Ed, who is known among friends and family as the ultimate DIY enthusiast. “Over the years, he has built his own home office, a laundry room, a renovated basement complete with gym, sauna, wine room and bar, updated living and dining rooms and designed a teenage bedroom for Kira when she turned thirteen,” Pantea said. Outdoors, Ed created an under-deck living space and a garden.
Family time is treasured in their home. Game nights are a tradition built on competition, laughter and the occasional playful rivalry. Whether it is ping pong, pool, basketball, a board game or a round of four square, the kids and Ed play to win while Pantea plays for the joy of it, even if she rarely wins. Movie nights remain a staple, too. They often introduce their children to films from the past, whether they are classics or cult favorites. Some receive enthusiastic approval, such as the recent viewing of Die Hard as a Christmas movie. Others are far less convincing, which becomes part of the fun.
Travel continues to shape their family life. Each year they take mountain trips for skiing and snowboarding, visit Kansas for the Fourth of July, go on family vacations, both local and international and end summer with a beach weekend before school begins. These traditions help maintain ties with loved ones across the country and around the world. In the summer of 2025, the Minnocks traveled to Italy and Montenegro. In Montenegro, the family volunteered at the first diabetes camp ever held in that country. Pantea collaborated closely with local staff to help launch the program, creating meaningful memories while sharing their time and support.
Their approach to parenting is rooted in perspective and purpose. They want their children to understand the diversity of the world, appreciate their privileges and learn how to contribute to the well-being of others. Pantea and Ed agreed that their family mottos reflect this balance. They often ask themselves whether their actions or words help or hurt. They encourage one another to follow their heart, trust their gut and use their brain when making decisions. Above all, they value being healthy, kind, thoughtful and strong.
Life in Edgmont supports those values. Their home near Ridley Creek offers both natural beauty and convenience. They love the hiking trails, parks, fishing spots and access to outdoor adventures. They love being close to Media and enjoying Dining Under the Stars. They appreciate how easy it is to reach major East Coast cities, the airport, the beach or the mountains in just an hour or two. And they have found neighbors who embody the warmth, respect and generational pride that make this community feel like home”.
The Minnocks have lived in Edgmont longer than anywhere else in their lives. It is the place where they built a family, strengthened their careers, created friendships and established traditions that define their identity. They love to travel, but they also love returning to the peaceful roads and open spaces that welcomed them so many years ago. Their hope for the community is simple and sincere. They are grateful for the kindness, diversity and support they have found here, and they are thankful for the chance to raise their children in a place that models the values they hold most dear.
Thank you, Ed and Pantea for sharing your story with our Newtown Edgmont Friends & Neighbors. We wish you a joyful new year in your happy home.