Rev. Ed Downs of First Baptist Church of New Iberia has been a fixture in the Teche Area for over 20 years and in that time left an impact of kindness and a love for his community and more importantly, God.

Affectionately known as Brother Ed by everyone, Downs died from COVID-19 complications on Thursday at age 65.

Brother Ed’s time on Earth was spent helping others, even at an early age. A native of Alabama, he served his country during the Vietnam War as a helmsman aboard the aircraft carriers USS John F. Kennedy and USS Independence. After his service, he was ordained into the ministry by Rev. Wayne Scarborough at Auburn Heights Baptist Church in Phenix City, Alabama, and was saved when he was 28.

“God didn’t make too many like him,” Janice, his wife of 44 years said. “God didn’t make too many like him.”

Jance and Brother Ed had two children together, a son, Jonathan and a daughter, Jenny Shores, with nine grandchildren — Gavin, Chris, Abigail, Ethan, Riley, Logan, Adi Mae, Sean and JonPaul

For the last 22 years, Shores said Brother Ed was active in all aspects of his church and his community.

One of the last gestures he did for members of the community was helping in the aftermath of Hurricane Delta and Laura, doing it all with a broken hip.

“The last few weeks, with all of the hurricanes, Ed called people about trees in their yards, trees in their houses,” Janice said. “His days began at 4 in the morning and didn’t end until 8:30 at night. That’s pretty remarkable for somebody that is 65 years old.”

But that was just one of many things Brother Ed did for New Iberia.

“That was the kind of man Ed Downs was,” Janice said of her husband. “If you walked into his office and told him you needed a cup of coffee, or you needed a sandwich or ramp for your house, it was built, it was done.”

Brother Ed was always there for others, and Shores said he has always been like that for the people of New Iberia.

“He was just the most selfless person,” Shores said. “I’ve never known him to be anything else.”

It didn’t matter, according to Janice, if someone had on a Rolex or even a Timex, she said her husband loved his people and he loved his Savior.

“It didn’t matter,” she said. “If you needed Christ, you needed Christ.”

First and foremost, Janice said he wanted to make sure other’s needs were met in whatever aspect that would have been. He would move mountains and boulders to make sure it happened.

“If you needed your belly full, your belly was full,” Jancie said. “But you also needed spiritual growth and that was Ed Downs. He was going to make sure that was going to happen to you.He wasn’t going to give up on you.”

That spiritual growth has resonated with so many around him over the years, like RJ Landry, who knew Brother Ed for seven years, teaching and guiding him to Christ.

“He has been my pastor and my best friend,” Landry said.

Janice said his congregation knew that they could go to him whenever and for whatever they needed. One part of his job he loved probably more than anything was working with the youth and children.

“Every child in this church called him ‘Papa,’” Janice said. “And even the adults, some of them would call him ‘Papa.’”

Through 22 years of growing relationships with others, counseling people, loving people, Brother Ed’s impact goes just beyond his own immediate family.

“Ed Downs,” Janice said, “He loved everybody and he loved the Lord.”

His passion for faith, his church and his people were evident and strong. Only shutting his doors twice since the start of COVID-19, Brother Ed sat on his stool in front of his people doing what he believed he was meant to do.

“He preached,” Janice said. “And that’s where he preached, he preached on Zoom, on Facebook but he preached.

Three weeks before his death, Brother Ed told Jancie he would be happy to be able to get back into his pulpit in front of everyone, as he was unable to climb the steps, forcing him to do his sermon on a stool. He looked forward to getting back.

But he never got the chance again until Janice had the opportunity to put him back where he loved being. He wasn’t able to preach there since May of this year but his family laid his casket in his pulpit for his service one last time.

“I want him back in his pulpit,” she said. “Because that was where he belonged and that’s where he wanted to be, in that pulpit. It’s been his for 22 years and he missed it.”

And for Jancie, it was something that has given her peace, knowing that he was able to be back where he ultimately belonged.

“But that is Ed, he loved his people, he loved his flock,” Jancie said.

The family plans to cremate Brother Ed and bury him at sea, one of his wishes upon his death.

“That’s all I heard for 44 years, ‘I’m going back to the ocean,’” Janice said.

Shores noted that when he was a child, he played on the beaches of Pensacola, Florida, growing up loving lighthouses and loving the beach and ships.

“He loved everything about the ocean,” Shores said.

Throughout his life, Brother Ed’s impact in New Iberia has been filled with love for others and Christ and will always be remembered for that.

“He made a point to be a servant for others,” Shores said.