Edward P. Kozelski

Edward Paul Kozelski born in Detroit, MI October 25, 1932 to Sophia and Edward Kozelski, survived by his wife Gloria (Liedes) Kozelski, his 5 children Steve, Maureen, Kat, Lauren and Karen, 3 Grandchildren Corey, Aaron and Joel, and his beloved dogs Cabot and Candy. Ed graduated from Denby High School in 1950 then entered the army to serve for 2 years. Ed then returned to Michigan where he worked as a letter carrier for the United Postal Service until he received disability retirement in 1984 . After retiring, Ed moved to Bonita Springs Florida in 1984 with his wife Gloria, into the house his father built and lived in for years, in Nuttinglikeit Grove. Ed found the Lord in 1999 and soon after began attending Living Waters church in Bonita, when it was just a small church. Ed and his wife Gloria, were water baptized by the Head Pastor in the Florida Gulf shortly thereafter, where Ed and Gloria dedicated their lives to the Lord. Ed immediately became very active in the little church that was growing fast, not only serving as a greeter with his outgoing personality up until he was 80, but also served as groundskeeper utilizing his landscaping skills to maintain and beautify the grounds, until his physical condition began to further deteriorate. As a result of his relentless service to the church and The Lord, when the little church began to grow beyond its capacity Ed asked the Pastor what they planned to do with the beautiful wooden church pews. The Pastor said take as many as you want. Ed hauled many of the pews out of the church himself, and found his gifting as a carpenter, turning the pews into beautiful pieces of furniture for his children and other church members. Once Ed used up the pews he loved to go to garage sales, finding little gems that were scrap to others, turning them into beautiful pieces of furniture, which fill his house and the houses of his 5 children, 3 of whom now also have houses in Bonita and Naples, after visiting over the years, the place Ed referred to as his little paradise on earth. Ed helped maintain and beautify his children’s homes in Bonita over the years, while he continued making furniture, and helping Living Waters build a larger church to accommodate its growth. Ed took in a rescue Chihuahua and was devastated when it only lived a few short days. With the help of his daughter Kat, Ed and his wife Gloria adopted sister and brother Chihuahuas from a shelter and Ed proclaimed “I found love again”. Ed spent the last 7 years of his life loving and caring for his dogs Cabot and Candy, who kept him going even though he spent many of his days in chronic pain. Ed was seen riding his bike with Candy and Cabot four times a day through Nuttinglikeit grove to the Bonita Springs park nearby, where he would spend time walking the dogs around the river. It was his dogs, his family and the Lord that kept him going during his last seven years as aging got the best of him. He was seen riding his bike with his dogs to the park up until the final weeks of life. Ed fought through pain his entire life but never gave up, always saying I have a lot to live for. God has blessed me with so much. Although of little means Ed gave all he had to his family, his dogs and his church saying he felt like the richest man alive, often proclaiming he was living the happiest time of his life after finding the Lord, even though in those later years he was in the most pain. Ed was a kind, loving, generous husband, father and grandfather and loved dearly by his family and dogs. Although he will be greatly missed, the legacy he left behind for his family, lives on not only in spirit in the Nuttinglikit Grove and nearby park, known as his little slice of heaven on earth, but in his never ending pursuit to never give up, to fight through the pain that followed him his entire life, knowing that once through it, the joy to come would be worth it. For Ed that Joy meant Jesus. Ed lived his life this way up until the day he died peacefully surrounded by his loving family. Ed is with Jesus now, no more pain that eventually took his earthly body, but now in His spiritual body and the eternal joy he knew one day would be his. When asked shortly before he passed if he knew that he did his job on earth and that Jesus would be proud of him he answered yes he knew. He also knew he lived a full, blessed life and was loved dearly by his family. Although he tried to fight death one more time, he came to know his last fight now would be to hang on long enough to see all of his children as they came in one by one from Michigan. Ed celebrated his 82nd Birthday in the hospital on Saturday with his family as he waited for the final arrival the following day. Once that last goodbye took place on Sunday Ed knew his fight was finished. He was now ready to go and be with The Lord. He took his final peaceful breath on Monday Oct 27 at 12:38 PM with his loving family by his side. Ed went out the same way he lived his life, “Victoriously”, and that will be his final legacy.

Edward P. Kozelski

October 25, 1932 - October 27, 2014