"Ed" Cansler was the third of four children born to E.T. Cansler, Jr. and Nell Cave. He attended the Citadel and was a graduate of North Carolina State University, where he majored in Textile Technology.

He joined the U.S. Army in World War II, and earned a Purple Heart for his acts of bravery at the Battle of the Bulge. He returned to Charlotte, where he became a player in the state's textile industry.

He was a member of many industry associations and a president of the Charlotte Textile Association. At the time of his death, he was the vice president of sales for Hollingsworth Saco-Lowell, Inc. in Greenville, South Carolina. He was a member of country clubs in both Charlotte and Greenville, and he attended the First Presbyterian Church of Greenville.

Survived by wife, Virginia Livie Cansler, two daughters, Barbara Lynn Cansler and Kathy Cansler Swilley, and a son Edwin T. Cansler, IV.