OBITUARY: Gerald Pete Godke, 94, Passed Away Oct. 23, Owned the Hallmark Gift Shop in Cocoa Beach

Family ran the Ocean Lodge, a hotel that was located on the site of Coconuts restaurant

BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA – Gerald Pete Godke passed away on October 23 at home while recuperating from a fall in May. He celebrated his 94th birthday on October 7.

He was survived by his wife, Juanita, of 72 years of marriage; his three daughters: Paula, Sharon, and Sherry; and his grandchildren: Katie, Tina, Sean, and Jen. He was also 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 that was located on the site of Coconuts restaurant. He always had stories about life on Cocoa Beach during World War II 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 Causeway. At Cocoa High School, Pete enjoyed a successful athletic career on the football team.

He enlisted in 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 parents’ Hallmark Gift Shop, Ann-Lias, in Cocoa Beach. Pete and Juanita became the store’s owners, 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 morals. 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 who interacted with him at his house and through the store.

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