In loving memory of Felix Riley Eades II - Obituary Baldwin Brothers

Obituary

Felix Riley Eades II, 75, of Summerfield, FL passed peacefully at home with his wife and children around him on July 15, 2023.

He was born in West Palm Beach, FL on March 29, 1948 to William H. Eades and Patricia A. McMahon Eades and moved to Miami soon afterwards. He was part of the first graduating class at Coral Park in 1966, and met Judy Lee Bailey on the school bus when she was a sophomore and he was a junior. They dated the rest of their high school years and got married in 1968 right after he graduated from the police academy.

He spent most of his working life in various aspects of law enforcement – he was a City of Miami K9 police officer, a Columbia County deputy sheriff, owned a security guard company as well as one where he trained dogs to search for bombs, drugs, and cadavers. He was also a private investigator and had one fraud/imposter case that landed him an appearance on the Jenny Jones show in the early 90s. During his career he crossed paths with famous musicians and actors, infamous criminals, and even a president. He had such a memory for detail that his retelling of the interactions could make you feel like you had been there, too.

His memory for detail also included a seemingly flawless recollection of names and faces. A simple trip to the post office could easily stretch into 2 hours if he ran into someone he hadn’t seen in 20 or 30 years and they stopped to catch up on everything that had happened to them in the meantime.

Felix had a number of traits that clearly defined his character. The first was his willingness to help others at the drop of a hat. If your car broke down, or you were putting up a fence or a room addition, he’d be there with tools and a lot of practical experience to lend a hand. He didn’t always have a lot of money to give, but he gave his time and energy to help wherever he could.

The second trait was how he always made sure the kids in his life – if they were family, friends of his children, or just children in the community – had what they needed, whether it was a baseball glove and cleats, or a fee so that so they could participate in a field trip, so they wouldn’t miss out. The Eades home was always open to the kids’ friends, no questions asked. Especially in their teenage and college years, it was not uncommon for Felix to come home at 4 am from an overnight shift to find one of their friends sleeping on the couch, or on a bedroom floor, because they were fighting with their parents and knew they would be safe there. Several of these friends lived with the family for weeks or months at a time, without hesitation. Felix and Judy just made room for one more at the dinner table, and included them in everything the family did and wherever they went.

Felix wasn’t just a father of 3, he was a bonus dad to many, and loved them all. These last few months after he was diagnosed, a bunch of “his” kids would regularly check in on him and give him encouragement. That their affection and concern for him persisted, literally decades later, shows the impact he had on so many people and is proof of how much he was loved.

Felix is survived by his wife Judy, their children: Charlie (Casey) Eades, Matthew (Kristin) Eades and Dana (Christopher Robé) Eades, and grandchildren: Stephanie, Mitchell, Nora, Sailor, Jimi, Heavynlee, Benntlee, Preslee, and Emberlee.

He is also survived by his sister, Elizabeth Anascavage, and brothers William H. (Cheryl) Eades Jr, Ralph J. Williams, and Edward E. (Charlotte) Eades as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He is preceded in death by his parents William and Patricia, and his brother Reginald J. Eades.

A Celebration of Life for Felix will be held on Saturday, August 5th 2023 in the Community Room at the Ocala Police Department (402 S. Pine Avenue, Ocala FL 34471) from noon to 4 pm.

As you know, Felix loved nothing better than to talk – he not only had countless old friends and a very large family, but he was also meeting new people nearly every time he left the house. In this spirit, he requested that instead of a formal memorial service, that we should have an Open House/Fellowship to provide a space for family and friends to gather and reminisce, to renew old bonds or possibly even create some new ones.

Dress code is casual, and the doors will be open so that people can come and go as they please.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Felix’s name to the Marion County Public Safety Assistance Trust (PSAT) through the:
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 129
2641 North Magnolia Avenue
Ocala, FL 34475.