The Harbor at Opelika resident Ed Gootee was born in Anderson, Indiana, and raised in the close-knit southern town of Montgomery, where faith, family, hard work and service were part of daily life. Those early lessons stuck with Ed, shaping his choices and the family he would one day build.

After high school, Ed answered a call to serve and joined the United States Air Force. That decision marked the start of a journey that would carry him—and later, his growing family—across the world. Over a 20-year career, his assignments took them from the rolling landscapes of England to the sunlit coast of California, the wilds of Colorado, the heartland of Illinois, the energy of Taiwan and the warmth of Alabama.

Colorado, though, always held a special place in Ed’s heart. Working at NORAD inside Cheyenne Mountain, he found himself surrounded by the natural beauty he loved. Some of his happiest days were spent outdoors, taking his family camping and fishing in the Rockies. There were plenty of laughs—like the time Beverly got a perm the day before a camping trip, only to become a magnet for mosquitoes all night. By morning, with everyone tired and Beverly itching, they packed up and headed home, the story becoming a family legend.

Ed’s Air Force years were filled with stories—some serious, some just plain funny. He often recalled his first assignment in England, where he ate at the chow hall every day. Despite not caring for the rolls, he’d find a basket of rolls placed on his tray each day. After a while, he couldn’t shake the sense that the rolls started to look exactly the same every day. One day, he stuck a toothpick in one as a test, and sure enough, the very next day, the roll with his toothpick was in that basket on his tray.

But perhaps Ed’s favorite story was one that changed his life forever. At Travis Air Force Base in California, he was working inside a building with a friend when he noticed a brunette jumping up to peek in the window. That girl was Beverly. He asked her out on a double date, and from that moment, everything was different. Beverly would later say she knew, the very minute she met him, that she would marry him. Their love story became the foundation for a family that would grow to fill Ed’s world with joy.

Ed and Beverly were married for 47 years, until her passing in 2010. Together they raised three children—Joe, Jackie and Janel—and built a life full of meaning. Ed is the proud grandfather of nine and great-grandfather of eleven, with a new great-granddaughter joining the family on August 11, 2026. His family now stretches from Smiths Station, Alabama, to Crest Hill, Illinois, and Cleveland, Ohio, the ties of love and memory connecting them all.

Family gatherings for the Gootees are still shaped by those military years, when vacation meant traveling to visit relatives. Trips back to southern Indiana meant squeezing into his grandparents’ tiny two-bedroom, one-bath house: grandparents in one room, Ed and Beverly in the other, and the kids spread out on the couch, floor and cots in the living room. Those visits were rowdy and fun, a time when cousins played late and the grown-ups laughed around the kitchen table. Everyone remembers them as simpler, easier days.

After retiring from the Air Force, Ed kept right on serving—this time as a civil servant, giving back to his country in a new way. In quieter moments, he and Beverly found joy in traveling together, exploring the backroads of Alabama and Mississippi and especially seeking out Indian tribal presentations. Those trips were meaningful, with Beverly’s own small amount of Indian heritage making them feel even more connected to the places and people they visited.

Faith remained a constant wherever life took Ed. No matter the assignment, he found a place in the local Catholic parish, eventually bringing that devotion to St. Joseph Catholic Church in Prattville, Alabama. Church community and spiritual life were always at the heart of his days, and one of Ed’s proudest achievements was becoming a fourth degree knight in the Knights of Columbus.

He’s a man who knows the value of a good story, a hearty laugh and the comfort of family close by. He also has a few surprises—like his love for popsicles, something that still makes his grandkids grin. And his legacy lives on: inspired by his example, one of his children and his oldest grandson (Jackie’s son) both joined the Air Force.

These days, it’s life’s simpler pleasures that bring Ed the most happiness. He loves calling bingo, playing checkers and watching classic Westerns on TV. He’s quick to remind his family of what matters most: love your God and your family.



From that small Indiana town to adventures around the world, Ed Gootee’s life has been marked by service, faith and love—a legacy now spanning four generations. Those who know him, know the warmth and steady presence he brings to every room. His is a story of devotion, resilience and the quiet joys that make a life truly well-lived.