Edgar was born and raised in Dunedin to parents George, an accountant and sharebroker, and Caroline Edgar. He was educated at
Anderson's Bay Primary School and
John McGlashan College before attending the
University of Otago. He graduated with a
Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1967 and completed his accounting professional qualifications the following year. He began working for Forsyth Barr in 1972. Edgar and his wife Jan moved to
Queenstown in 1994. They had three sons. He was also a trustee of the Arts Foundation of New Zealand and of the Halberg Disability Foundation. In that role, he was instrumental in the company's sponsorship of
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin's main international sports complex. Edgar died in Queenstown on 14 June 2021, aged 76, having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late 2020. ==Honours and awards==