Edward “Ted” Gould Platt Jr., co-founder of Son Shine Ministries, went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, at the age of 93.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23 at Frazer Church in Montgomery, Alabama. A second service will be held at Son Shine Ministries in Azle later this fall.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial gifts be made by mail to Son Shine Ministries, P.O. Box 456, Azle, TX 76098 or on the website: www.equipfamilies.org.

Ted lived a life marked by faith, family and service. A graduate of Sewanee: The University of the South and Florida State University, he served 23 years as an officer and pilot in the United States Air Force, including flying C-130 missions during the Vietnam War and teaching mathematics at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He retired in 1978 as a lieutenant colonel.

In 1977, Ted and Barbara, along with Lew and Sandy Shaffer, co-founded Son Shine Ministries in Montgomery, Alabama. The ministry moved to Azle in 1981, where the four friends served together for nearly three decades, sharing the message of Jesus Christ and strengthening marriages and families throughout the United States and around the world.

Ted and Barbara later returned to Montgomery to be near their family. Ted remained deeply connected to Son Shine Ministries and was grateful to see the ministry approach its 50th anniversary.

Ted was preceded in death by his beloved wife of nearly 66 years, Barbara, and his daughter, Wendy Platt Cleveland. 

He is survived by his son, Mark Platt (Cindy); four grandchildren, Chauntye Alexander, Patrick Alexander, Lauren Cook (Scott) and Brian Platt (Adriana); and five great-grandchildren.