Edward Rickles

Edward “Ed” Lavelle (Peanut) Rickles went to be with the Lord on October 18, 2020 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama having created a legacy of grace, sonship and the love of God. Ed was born on August 19, 1939 in Meridian, Mississippi and passed at eighty-one having lived a life full of love and relationship with Jesus Christ.



Raised by his grandmother, Bula Finn, he began working at just eight years old delivering groceries, working at the butcher shop, and doing whatever he could to provide. Even as a child, Ed understood the value of hard work. Most of all, he loved and valued music. At the age of ten, he bought his first guitar and learned to play it all on his own. It was in grade school that he met the love of his life—Mary Virginia Glisson. He declared to her at the tender age of fourteen that he would marry her someday.



After graduating high school, Ed joined the service. He faithfully served our country first in the Army. He was enlisted for four years and spent a year and a half in Vietnam. He continued his valiant service in the Air Force where he served for an additional four years being stationed in Hawaii. He served for a total of nine years and was awarded multiple medals for his dedication and service.



In 1965, he came home and the beautiful love story of Mr. Ed and Mrs. Ginny Rickles officially began. He had returned to his long lost love. Together, they built a beautiful life and family and dedicated more than forty years to the ministry. They pastored New Covenant Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama from 1980-2016 before becoming a Bishop at Daystar Family Church.



In 2017, Ed became ill with lung disease. Being a fighter and having faith in the healing power of Jesus, he overcame a heart attack in 2019 and lung cancer in 2020. He spent ten months in assisted living before coming home in September 2020. He was lovingly cared for by outpatient hospice along with his wife and his daughter Cherelle. He spent his last days being surrounded by family receiving all of the love and attention he had missed out on earlier this year. On October 17, 2020, he was moved to Hospice of West Alabama where he was cared for until he made his transition into Heaven around 2:40 PM the next day.



Ed is preceded in death by his parents Ervin Rickles and Louise Lane, his brother Ronnie Rickles, his daughter Suzie Steinhilber and three of his great-grandchildren. He leaves behind a large family including his wife, Ginny Rickles, his siblings Jim Rickles and Janelle Latham, his children Troy (Diane) Rickles, Cherelle (Brent) Tidwell, Sam Gurney, Tammy Aurthor, and Bobby Steinhilber, fifteen grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren.



Ed’s service will be held at Daystar Family Church in Northport, Alabama. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Magnolia Funeral Home and Webb Funeral Home, and he will be buried in the family cemetery in Meridian, Mississippi.