Edgar Allen Breland

Ed was born to Helen and Norwood Breland in Fairfax, Oklahoma on July 1, 1933 and raised in Magnolia, Arkansas. There he met and in 1956 married Jarvis Downs, who was his constant source of love and strength for the first half of his long life. After her death in 1985, he was blessed to find love again, first with Dee Stef and then, Gerrie Haas, who he spent the last 27 years of his life with. A life filled with joy, love and devotion to each other and their families.

Ed served in the United States Navy, beginning his career in 1956 with Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron 26 out of Brunswick, Maine, with many adventures including navigating to the North Pole and safely piloting a heavily-damaged, lightning-struck P2V-5F Neptune aircraft into Karup, Denmark for an unplanned Danish Christmas. The adventures continued for the next 30 years, including supporting the Apollo 13 recovery operation aboard the USS Iwo Jima, deploying to Vietnam with Tactical Air Control Squadron 13, serving as executive assistant to the Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet, and graduating from the National War College. In 1986 he retired from the Navy as head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Exercise Division. Ed was always very humble and rarely told “sea stories” about his service. While heading the Joint Exercise Division, for instance, he insisted to his curious children that he was actually a member of the janitorial staff at the Pentagon. His humility and integrity were life-long characteristics, as was his love of learning and his desire to always strive to be the best he could possibly be. Ever the Renaissance man, Ed excelled at everything he did

Ed was predeceased by his wife Jarvis Downs Breland, siblings George and Ann, wife Dee Stef Breland, daughter-in-law Rendy Breland (Steve), and sons-in-law Vernon Santos (Dina), Christian Slater (Wendy), and Jon Oden (Lisa). He is survived by his loving and devoted wife Gerrie Haas, his children with Jarvis- Steven, Dina Santos, Liz Coelho (Joe), Alison Wagner (Michael), and Cary Pendergast (Jim), and was Grampy to their children Ryan and Shane Santos, Jordan (Karima), Brennan, and Isabelle (Atheeth) Wagner, Julian, Marco, Evan, and Derek Pendergast, and great-granddaughter Stella Santos.

After retiring from the Navy, Ed moved to Florida and eventually the community of Bay Hill, to begin the second chapter of his life. In the process, he gained another family when he married Gerrie Haas in 2002. He loved the addition of three daughters, (while thankfully avoiding their teen years) - Lisa Oden, Wendy Slater Batchelor (Rich), and Kim Cisewski (Kent), and was the Opa to their children Sydney Oden, Willem and Ariana Slater, and Ty and Cameron Cisewski. They brought him great joy and contentment in his later years.

All of his large family relied on him for his kindness, humor, strong drive to help those he loved succeed, and uncanny ability to decorate the perfect Christmas tree every year.

Throughout his life Ed was an accomplished and inveterate golfer, making many lifelong friends over a Snickers bar at the 9th hole and drinks at the 19th. In his earlier years, he played in pro-amateur tournaments and on courses around the world, and in his later years, thrice weekly at the Bay Hill Country Club. He was a fervent Dallas Cowboys fan and never missed an opportunity to cheer them on to victory. Always active, he served his community of HarborChase of Dr. Phillips as President and moderated focused discussions on current events.

He will be forever missed by family members, friends, neighbors and everyone he touched throughout his long and well-lived life, filled with love for his family and country. He lived every day with honor, integrity and resoluteness. His memory will be forever honored by those who loved him most.

A memorial service will be held at 3pm on Sunday, August 4, 2024 at Woodlawn Funeral Home in Gotha, FL. He will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.