Edward Earl Chandler, Jr., beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother, passed away peacefully on May 18, 2025, at the age of 77 in Destin, FL. He lived a prosperous and full life marked by family, friends, faith, hard work, and many entrepreneurial ventures. A service will be held on Thursday, May 22 at 2 p.m. at Hanceville Funeral Home and at the graveside afterward at Hopewell Cemetery in Hanceville, AL.
Born in Cullman, AL on January 11, 1948, Eddie admittedly barely graduated Hanceville High School in 1966 and chose not to pursue higher education. However, he was a very intelligent man who had a keen eye for a solid business deal and a work ethic that was unmatched. The combination of common sense and hard work allowed him many opportunities and much success, as well as enough stories to fill a book. He loved to talk, laugh, and share stories with old and new friends.
Eddie married his high school sweetheart, Sharron Ann Anderson in 1969 and worked as a coal miner, farmer, and restauranteur before moving his family to Charleston, SC in 1989 to assist in cleanup efforts for the victims of Hurricane Hugo. While in Charleston, Eddie began a general contracting career constructing golf courses, sports complexes, and major site work for commercial shopping centers. Most notably, Eddie was a contractor for the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, which was home to the 1991 Ryder Cup. He went on to build many well-known courses across the southeast, eventually settling in Destin, FL where he expanded his entrepreneurial ventures to include real estate and land development, sod farming, renewable energy, and various other projects. In his “retirement,” Eddie went back to his farming and family roots while owning over 1,000 head of cattle in Cullman County, AL and dividing his time between his beloved farm and his home in Destin, FL.
Eddie was a humble philanthropist with a soft heart for those less fortunate. He quietly supported various charities, churches, and families in need, often helping children, single moms, or individuals who had found themselves in tough situations.
Eddie loved to work hard, but he also loved to play hard. He had an appreciation for all things vintage and had a large collection of classic and hot rod cars. He particularly enjoyed listening and dancing to oldies, doo-wop, and beach music and entertaining friends on the dance floor while shagging to the tunes of Craig Woolard and the Embers.
One of Eddie’s greatest joys was his family and being a proud dad to daughters Lori and Amy, and a grandfather and “Duke” to his four grandchildren. He especially enjoyed traveling with Sharron and their grandchildren in his motorhome to theme parks and watching countless school productions and sporting events. Spending time with his grandchildren was one of the highlights of his life.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Sharron Chandler; his daughters, Lori Plourd (Steve) and Amy Simpson (Brad); his grandchildren, Chandler Plourd (Hannah), Eryk Plourd, Lillian “Lolly” Simpson, and Owen Simpson; his brothers, Anthony (Beth) and Jon; his sisters, Amanda Riley (Mike) and Robin Clauson (Greg), as well as cousins, nieces and nephews, and many dear friends. Eddie was preceded in death by his father, Edward Earl Chandler, Sr.; his mother, Lillian Cobb Chandler; and his cherished dog, Maggie.
His family would like to sincerely thank Melina Reese, Debbie Christianson, and Esteban Martinez for all their help and special care of Eddie.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Fund of the American Brain Foundation online at https://give.americanbrainfoundation.org/campaign/ 683065/donate. Please direct the gift to the LBD Fund and indicate this is a memorial gift in honor of Eddie Chandler. To mail a check, please send to:
American Brain Foundation 201 Chicago Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55415 In the memo of the check, please note this is a memorial gift in support of the LBD research in memory of Eddie Chandler
Memorial gifts may also be made to support Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Research at UAB. For online memorial gifts, please use the following link: https://go.uab.edu/ eddiechandlermemorial. Checks can addressed to the UAB Department of Neurology with Eddie Chandler Memorial in the memo and mailed to: UAB Gift Records AB 1230 1720 2nd Avenue South Birmingham, AL, 35294.
If you have any questions about UAB gifts, please contact Morgan Quarles at nmrobinson@uabmc.edu or 205.934.9302.
