Gene Beckstein’s early life wasn’t exactly picture perfect.

He grew up in the ghetto of New York, and after serving as a Marine in World War II, he ended up in Chicago, homeless and drunk.

Beckstein will turn 90 Sunday, and said that his past is what inspired him to found Gainesville’s Good News at Noon ministry with his late wife, Marjorie. But that isn’t the important part of his story.

“All the rest of the stuff is not important at all. It’s what Jesus did to me when I was a drunk and a homeless in Chicago,” Beckstein said.

He said his life changed forever when a friend invited him to a “night club” to listen to music.

“He told me that four black guys were singing and I love music, so we went and we stopped and we rolled the window down and we looked up and there was this big old cross on top,” Beckstein said.

Beckstein said he didn’t understand what they were doing at a church on Saturday night, especially since he didn’t visit them Sunday mornings.

His friend assured him that there was good music inside so Beckstein went in to listen.

The small church was packed full of people. He and his friend found the only vacant seats left in the fourth row from the front. The man who was speaking wasn’t an ordained minister but an All-American football player.

As the service ended, the people left and Beckstein stayed.

Beckstein’s father, who fought in Madison Square Garden in New York, always told him to beware a man with a black-covered Bible.

“He said stay away from those Bibles with the black covers on them. They’ll make a girl out of you, they’ll make a sissy out of you,” Beckstein said.

The evangelist sat with Beckstein, a black Bible spread open on his lap.

In spite of his father’s warning, Beckstein listened to the man tell him about John 3:16. Beckstein said he thought he was referring to a catcher with the Cincinnati Reds.

He said the evangelist dealt with him like he was an 8-year-old and wrapped his big arm around his shoulder while they kneeled to pray.

The evangelist prayed for Beckstein and then asked him if he would like to pray, too.

“I’m a homeless guy and a drunk and I started to cry. He said ‘what’s the matter’ and I said ‘I feel very far away from God’. He said ‘good,’” Beckstein said.

That was the night that Beckstein became a Christian.

“He said ‘Gene Beckstein, you know what you’re supposed to do now?’ I said ‘no.’ He said ‘You’re a member of God’s family, you’re born again.’ He said ‘never criticize another church, never criticize another religion.’ He said ‘you have one job, lift Jesus up,’” he said.

That is exactly what Beckstein has been trying to do ever since.

“He’s had a great impact on our community and a positive impact on our community,” said Ed Grant, recently retired director of Good News at Noon.

After that night, Beckstein used his veteran’s benefits to go to college and became a teacher. He worked as an educator for 37 years. Over the years, he and his wife invited 48 trouble teenagers into their home to help them make a better life for themselves and share the Gospel.

“We lived the word. Instead of just preaching the word we lived the word. So that all the guys and girls that came into our home could see it,” Beckstein said.

It is this attitude of sharing his faith that has helped convert many other people.

Thomas Ramirez, manager of Good News at Noon, said it was from watching Beckstein that he too became a Christian.

“He is the one who introduced me to the Lord in a personal way. I saw this guy he was living it, he wasn’t just preaching it. That’s how I became a Christian, from seeing him. I don’t know how many thousands of lives he has touched,” Ramirez said.

In 1987, he and his wife started giving lunch to the hungry people of Gainesville. They fed 12 people that first day. They later founded the Good News at Noon ministry on Davis Street.

He gives his wife full credit for the idea to start the ministry.

This year, Beckstein said the ministry will serve 55,000 free hot meals to those in need.

Beckstein said he never would have expected the ministry to grow the way it has. He said he never has to ask for anything. Hundreds of volunteers from 55 area churches help any way they can at the ministry, preparing the daily meals and donating necessities.

Beckstein will celebrate his 90th birthday Monday with a party at First Baptist Church on Green St. in Gainesville from 6:30 to 9 p.m.