Edward Eugene Jouret

Edward Eugene Jouret, beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, and grandfather passed away peacefully on August 31, 2022, family members at his side. He was 83. Ed was raised in Jeannette, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. He was drafted into the Army in the early 1960s. He served with pride stateside, principally in Fort Benning, Georgia. His first son, Michael, was born there. Honorable discharge in hand, he returned to working at the family furniture store in Jeannette. One snowy day, he spotted a sailing magazine in a convenience store. That led to a sailing class in St. Petersburg, Florida, with his then wife, Anne. So intrigued were they with the experience that they determined to move the family to St. Petersburg in a recession without any clear prospects for employment at hand. What they did have was Ed’s energy, entrepreneurialism, confidence and optimism that things would work out. And indeed they did. Many who knew Ed would share his family’s assessment that he was among the most upright, steady and respectable men we ever met. He eventually bought and successfully ran a True Value Hardware store in Gulfport, Florida. He met Carolyn there and married her in 1986, happily spending the remaining 36 years of his life with her. He welcomed stepdaughter Eve and stepson David into his life and embraced their growing families as his own. He rescued a $600 bungalow in St. Petersburg destined for demolition (it sat upon a future parking lot) and liberated it 70 miles north to undeveloped land in Brooksville, Florida. With Carolyn’s help, he restored and expanded it, creating a little farm. They eventually added a barn and Nathan the Horse and Donkey Odie (a comic hat-tilt to Cervantes). Ed and Carolyn split their time between St. Petersburg and Brooksville until son Stefan and Eve went to college, when they retired and embarked on months-long jaunts (often by RV) that eventually took them to all 50 states. They did one stint at Smoky Mountain National Park, with Ed serving as a park ranger. They also traveled a good bit in Canada’s eastern provinces, where their adventures included being “screeched in” by the Newfies. In later years, Ed and Carolyn broadened their excursions to parts of South America (including the Galápagos Islands) and France before the Pandemic set in and clipped their travel wings. Ed had kind, expressive eyes, a ready, mirthful smile, and the warmest heart. He never failed to let his family know he loved them. He also adored the American west and classic American cars, owning at various points a convertible 1964 T-Bird, a convertible 1968 Mustang, a convertible 1969 Chevelle and a purple 1970 El Camino. He was also a sports fan, with a particular affinity for Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Florida Gators teams (where sons Michael and Stefan and granddaughter Alyssa attended). Ed’s surviving family include son Mike, his wife Mandie, their two daughters Alyssa and Haley; son Stefan and his two sons Joe and Teddy; wife Carolyn and stepson David, his wife Jule, and their daughter “Little Eve” and son Eli; stepdaughter Eve and her husband, Walter; Ed’s sister Barbara; Ed’s brother Bob and his wife Georgia and their children Michelle, Eric and Mark, and grandchildren. Services for Ed will be Tuesday, September 6th, 2022, at 11am at Christ United Methodist Church, 1313 Griffin Road, Leesburg, FL 34748. Internment: Florida National Cemetery, 6502 SW 102nd Avenue, Bushnell, FL, 33513, Wednesday, September 7th, 2022 at 1130am. Beyers Funeral Home of Leesburg, FL will be handling all arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be sent to www.honorflight.org

Edward Eugene Jouret

December 8, 1938 - August 31, 2022