Mr. Edward Healy, 89, passed away at his home in Miramar Beach, Fla., on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024.
Edward began his long and storied life on July 25, 1934, in Warner, born to Ernest Linwood Healy and Bernice Carneal Healy. Many of Edward’s stories of growing up are about how hard farm work was. Living in a home with no running water, one of Edward’s chores was to walk deep into the woods to the spring to haul the family’s drinking water. Edward became known for his constant mischief, often teetering over into outright trouble. He was able to avoid some trouble at school by having his sister Evelyn forge their mother’s signature on bad report cards until the gig was up. He was unable to avoid the horse that kicked him in the head after he hit the horse with a stick; Edward’s eyelid was stitched back together on the kitchen table, without any anesthetic.
Only because his father would not give permission sooner, Edward left the farm the day after his 18th birthday to join the Navy. His mother told him that she expected to see him back soon; she was sure that the Navy would not keep anyone as ornery as him. Edward proved his mother wrong, serving almost 30 years in the Navy as a corpsman and hospital administrator, and proudly retiring as a master chief. The Navy was a curious choice for a man who hated the water and never learned to swim; he figured out how to work the system, and managed to spend only six months at sea during his Navy career. Edward spent a year in Vietnam with the Marines during the war there, receiving a Purple Heart and other commendations for his service.
One of his many memorable pranks was when he returned home from the war to his family a day earlier than he had told us so that he could surprise us with a knock on the door. Near the end of his Navy career, Edward earned a college degree, which would have shocked anyone who knew him growing up, and then went on to have a second career with Bechtel.
Edward met his wife Frankie while cruising the strip in Pensacola, Fla. They were married in 1959, and shared many adventures over more than 64 years together. While in Vietnam, Edward saved his pinochle earnings, using all those pennies and dimes to pay for their romantic week in Hawaii during his R&R break from the war. The Navy took them and their three sons to many duty stations, including four years in Naples, Italy. Together, Edward and Frankie made sure that the family traveled and explored Italy and other parts of Europe. Following retirement, he and Frankie spent years traveling the world. They managed to visit every continent on the planet, and to travel by boat over many of the world’s oceans and major rivers. Edward and Frankie also loved to dance and dress up; their three sons were often left in the care of a babysitter while they headed out to a formal Navy ball, he wearing his spiffy dress uniform and she wearing the most fashionable gown possible.
Though Edward was not prone to self-reflection or poetry, his life might be described by Walt Whitman’s words: “Do I contradict myself? Very well, then, I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.)” Many organizations and people benefited from Edward’s generosity. He was proud to be a regular blood donor for his entire adult life. He was a member of the Arlington-Fairfax Elks Lodge in Virginia, making it his job to pick up people who couldn’t drive so that they could attend bingo night. He spent a year escorting his friend to weekly dialysis treatments. He volunteered at Caring and Sharing for more than 20 years. He supported each of his sons more than once in their times of need. At other times, he pushed each of those sons out of his life. Many people suffered from Edward’s punishing anger, surprised and scorched by his sudden flare-ups. The people closest to Edward had to decide how and whether to have a relationship with a man who was generous with both his harsh temper and his love.
Edward was preceded in death by his mother and father; three brothers, Gene Healy, Charles Healy and Milton Healy; and two sisters, Ann Nelson and Evelyn Morgan.
He is survived by his wife Frankie Healy of Miramar Beach, Fla.; three sons, Dale Healy and wife Carol of Conroe, Texas, Michael Healy and wife Debra of Burlington, Vermont, and Alan Healy and wife Christey of Black Mountain, N.C. He is also survived by nine grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren; and his brother, James and wife Ann of Fredericksburg.
No memorial service is planned at this time, and the family requests that no flowers be sent. Those wishing to honor Edward’s life with a donation may contribute to Caring and Sharing of South Walton, 112 Lynn Drive, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459, or Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch, P.O. Box 1890, Amarillo, TX 79105.
