My name is Chris Fleming, Ed Oliver was my Grandfather

What bring us together today is our mutual love for Ed.

I just thought I would share a couple of my favorite memories about Ed

Some of my earliest memories were spending time at the cabins at Lake Lanier with my grandfather Ed. It is where I developed my passion for being in and around the water.

I remember going to see the Harlem Globetrotters and the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Braves games were always a blast and I credit him with introducing me to the Atlanta Braves and me becoming a lifelong Braves Fan. Ed loves the Braves, Falcons and the Dawgs. I never got to see him play baseball, but I heard he was very good.  According to him

Later when I was around 11 years old, I remember being at the pool one day and calling him “Granddaddy “ and him telling me "shh don’t call me that in front of all these pretty young ladies". He was a young, single and handsome looking.

I recently asked him about me continuing my men’s league baseball “career”, and he told me of a story how he pitched the rest of a season with a broken foot in high school, it was still visible all these years later. He said he felt it every day when he got up. He said “you know what pitching hurt was called?   "STUPID”.  So with that he was telling me it was time to stop playing because my body would regret it later.

One of my favorite baseball memories was when I ask him if he could get me some tickets To Fenway Park in Boston. The Braves were playing the Red Sox and not only did he come through, they were the absolutely the best possible seats Row 1 seat 1 parallel to the dugouts, amazing seats. I caught a Chipper Jones foul ball and the Braves got the win.

Later in my early 20’s I learned what work ethic and integrity meant from him. He was a very hardworking man. He worked until he was 80, he truly loved getting up and going things done!

He was the toughest man I ever knew, He was told several times in his life, he was not going to leave the hospital and he overcame all odds and proved the doctors wrong

For me as I reflect upon who I am as a man, and I see where I developed some one my more favorable qualities, such as work ethic, integrity, and the ability to remain upbeat and positive about whatever situation life throws our way.

Ed always lived life to the fullest and my favorite saying from him was “its only money and we will make some more tomorrow” meaning you can’t put a price on a good time” I know for a fact that he had a great life, always had fun and when it was time to,  partied with the best of them.

I just hope we can remember this day as Ed’s celebration day and raise a glass tonight for him as we honor his life.

Chris Fleming - July 08 at 12:30 PM

One could easily state that Ed Oliver made his presence felt. Had you not known him, you would have always assumed when he entered the room, that he was the one conducting the meeting. He was as punctual as a Navy Seal and driven by the same passion. Ed carried himself differently than most men. He had the look of a well groomed banker and the swagger of a professional fighter. His confidence was unmistakable. Always in pressed pants and shirt, he cut an unmistakable impression. Over time, many people seem to slip in their appearance and mannerisms. This simply was not Ed. In a room full of well dressed National and Regional Sales Managers, he struck you as the CEO who did not need to wear the tie, with his ability, it was not needed. His aura meant he knew what he was talking about and who he was. He went through life with this incredible gift of being comfortable in his own skin.

 Ed was an exceptional confidant. His lengthy experience with Coca-Cola at a senior management level coupled with his gift for common sense decision making made for the perfect sounding board. I was fortunate to have had many conversations about how to move General Wholesale Beer Company forward in the most efficient manner with him. He was one of only two people I felt comfortable in doing this with. Together, we partnered to take General from a daily case average and a dirt parking lot from under three thousand cases per day to well over twenty thousand. Hitting thirty plus thousand cases per day became the norm for holidays. He had a very intelligent business sense and was a capable of thinking far outside the box if needed. We hit some exceptional benchmarks along the way together increasing sales of Crown Imports by the millions, meeting well over one million cases of Heineken USA sales annually and building Monster Energy Drink from a few pallets to the largest beer distributor assigned the brand in the US. His ties to Key Account buyers was impeccable.

Ed was a patriot. He loved this great country and was not afraid to speak about his political beliefs. He spoke in a fact based manner as compared to many who base their positions on emotion. He had developed his positions early on as an industrious and hard worker. He was a big believer in rewarding performance and accountability. He was a very proud member of the US Navy. Serving in Maine, a state long known for its military heritage and ship building, he became a loyal fan of the Boston Red Sox, a common thread between us. Ed hitched a ride from Maine to Fenway Park just to catch a game, an incredible feat! We shared in the celebration of the 2004 World Series Championship after an 86 year drought known as the curse of the Bambino. This was something he thought would never happen in his lifetime. Ed later served in San Diego and finally in Japan.

Ed also prided himself in his bootlegging background and NASCAR. He and I once got into an argument over who was the better driver. Out to lunch, we decided to test the boundaries of this discussion with a light wager. Who ever got back to the office first won $20. Ed was driving his red, Pontiac GTP with a high performance engine and I was in a Cadillac Eldorado. Ed hit the gas like the bet was for a million dollars and a free vacation to Wally World. Spinning out, pebbles hitting my car and seeing only Ed’s tail lights is all I can remember. He drove like a maniac! It was personal! I wanted to respectfully be on his heals but he hit South Atlanta Road like a “bat out of hell” and was on a mission from God! He spun around the corner like he was stunt driver practicing his drafting skills for the next Fast and Furious movie. He arrived at work long before I even got within a half mile of him. His performance was so impressive, we duct tapped the number 11 to the side of his car at the General Wholesale parking lot! I was forced to repair the engine damage caused by trying to drive like Ed and buying an auto paint pen to repair the damage from the gravel he spun onto my hood. He hated losing but loved the improved decal.

Ed was a mother's dream. He took care of his mom with a loving passion and her comfort meant everything to him as a person. He supported and remained a vigilant son to her every single day and made sure she received the love and attention she deserved. He prided himself on this. Loyalty was at his core as a person, professionally and more important personally. He never bent the truth to fit his purpose.

Ed led a life that all should admire but Betty was his rock. I never, ever heard him say anything but loving thoughts of her. She was the absolute light of his life and the only woman who could ever keep Ed in line. He loved her with all of his heart. He shared her successes and was always so proud of who he was married to. No one was ever more important to him than her.

Ed led a complete life that hit far more highs than lows. He had a run of great health that rivaled Cal Ripken and the good sense to enjoy it. The Jack Daniels Distillery will be flying their flag at half mast for a few months to be followed by a layoff of ten percent of their work force who will no doubt, apply to be drivers at General Wholesale. Here they will be fired for theft of two cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon and serve their prison term out at Shawshank. The circle is complete.

If the objective of life is to live it to the absolute fullest extent, well then, a masterful player has just left the field. He served his family, his nation, those who he worked for, his loving wife and had an absolute blast along the way. He spoke his mind as if he did not care how the words rang in your head, was free thinking and God loving. He hit everything on all cylinders and at the gates of Heaven promptly asked where is the nearest bar, who has the fastest car and how long until I am joined by my loving wife. He has hugged his mom and began to find the nearest drycleaners, cursed a few lazy people who made their way through the gates and has begun to organize Heaven as never before! Heaven is better because of him.

Ed you will be missed more than you can ever imagine and you played the game well.  


James Kayser, July 7, 2015