Gerald Pete Godke

Gerald Pete Godke, passed away on October 23rd at home while recuperating from a fall in May. He celebrated his 94th birthday on October 7th. He was survived by his wife, Juanita of 72 years of marriage; his three daughters: Paula, Sharon, and Sherry; grandchildren: Katie, Tina, Sean, and Jen. He also was blessed to know his five great grandchildren: Weston, Cason, Penelope, Peter, and Colleen.

He was told he was a Florida native but was born in Kewanee, IL in 1931. His parents, Paul and Ann Godke were looking for a better life for their boys, Dale and Pete. They settled in Cocoa Beach where they ran the Ocean Lodge, a hotel which was located on the site of Coconuts restaurant. He always had stories about life on Cocoa Beach during World War I and his father being the first voter in Cocoa Beach. Pete’s school life took him by bus, driving on a one lane bridge to Cocoa which started on Minuteman CSWY.  At Cocoa High School, Pete enjoyed an athletic life on the high school football team. He enlisted into the Air Force and became an OSI (Office of Special Investigations) Agent.

During his military years he married and had three daughters.  Upon retiring after 20 years, he became the operator of his parent’s Hallmark Gift Shop, Ann-Lias in Cocoa Beach. Pete and Juanita became the owners of the store and it became a mainstay on the beach. Over the next 36 years, he and Juanita worked hard to make the store very successful.

Pete was a man of ethics and morales. He attended the Lutheran Church and had a strong Christian faith. In the military, Pete learned life lessons including teamwork, integrity in your work, and respect for people. These values were instilled in their children. Even at the very end, dad always wanted people to know that he appreciated them and they meant a lot to him. These included my mom, family members and people that interacted with him at his house and through the store.