Eddy Arnold Eley

Eddy A. Eley, 75, Biloxi, MS passed away Thursday, July 20, 2023 at Merit Health Hospital with his daughter, Tesserae, by his side.
Eddy Arnold Eley was born October 21, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois. He attended school in Grand Forks, ND, and in 1966 was drafted into the Army to serve in Vietnam. He served honorably earning several medals for his brave service as a combat engineer on the front lines. His service began his life-long passion for being a heavy equipment operator. On March 18, 1972, he married Gaynelle M. Rothenberger in Grand Forks. They moved with his construction work across the country for many years. Eddy loved building anything that required him to operate a crane. Eventually his work took them to the Mississippi Gulf Coast; where they enjoyed living and working near the water. He built one casino after another from the ground up. He was most proud of building the Imperial Palace for Ralph Engelstad. He continued to build casinos along the coast until Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. After Katrina, Eddy and his family returned home to Grand Forks. He enjoyed reconnecting with family and friends. His sense of humor made everyone who knew him laugh and smile. His smile was contagious and his presence lit up a room.
Eddy enjoyed all kinds of music, singing, dancing, traveling, and collecting antique cars. He loved going to car shows and showing off his classic cars and admiring the others. He was so proud of everything he put into them. Several times he took trophies for his beautiful 1967 Chevy C10 Sportside Pickup.
Eddy was a wonderful provider for his wife and kids; they never went without because he took every hour of overtime he could get. He loved what he did for a living and definitely was one of the best at running heavy equipment; especially operating large cranes.
He is survived by his son, Dominick Eley, Grand Forks, ND; daughters, Tina Hagaman, Grand Forks, ND; Tesserae Eley and Taynelle Eley, both of Biloxi, MS; 6 grandchildren; Heather, Philip, Damion, Teaerica, Teanna, and Taya; and 3 great-grandchildren; Taylin, Koda, and Mason.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Gaynelle.
Graveside service with military honors will be for all that would like to attend in Grand Forks on September 1, 2023 at 3:00 pm.
Burial: Calvery North Cemetery, Grand Forks, ND.
Southern Mississippi Funeral Services are honored to serve the Eley family. Please visit www.smfs.us to send your condolences and share your memories with the family.