<P> Garrett was married twice , divorced ( first marriage ) , and widowed ( second marriage ) ; one early episode showed Mr. Garrett coming to town to woo her and reconcile , but he was unsuccessful because Edna felt that his gambling problem would always be an obstacle . She had two sons , a singer / songwriter / carpenter named Alex ( Tom Fitzsimmons ) ( born 1953 ) and an accountant named Raymond ( Joel Brooks ) . Raymond helped her raise funds and secure commercial space so she could open her own gourmet food shop , Edna 's Edibles , in the fall of 1983 . The girls , who had previously lived with Mrs. Garrett at Eastland , and worked with her in the kitchen to pay off various restitution - related expenses ( see below ) , moved into an apartment above `` Edna 's Edibles '' and continued to work for Mrs. Garrett in the shop ( this time on the payroll ) . In the fall of 1985 , Edna 's Edibles was extensively damaged by fire ; it was rebuilt as a gift shop called `` Over Our Heads . '' Since the insurance on Edna 's Edibles had lapsed by the time of the fire , the girls contributed their insurance claim checks to help rebuild , effectively making Mrs. Garrett and the girls equal partners in the business . </P>
<P> Garrett was married twice , divorced ( first marriage ) , and widowed ( second marriage ) ; one early episode showed Mr. Garrett coming to town to woo her and reconcile , but he was unsuccessful because Edna felt that his gambling problem would always be an obstacle . She had two sons , a singer / songwriter / carpenter named Alex ( Tom Fitzsimmons ) ( born 1953 ) and an accountant named Raymond ( Joel Brooks ) . Raymond helped her raise funds and secure commercial space so she could open her own gourmet food shop , Edna 's Edibles , in the fall of 1983 . The girls , who had previously lived with Mrs. Garrett at Eastland , and worked with her in the kitchen to pay off various restitution - related expenses ( see below ) , moved into an apartment above `` Edna 's Edibles '' and continued to work for Mrs. Garrett in the shop ( this time on the payroll ) . In the fall of 1985 , Edna 's Edibles was extensively damaged by fire ; it was rebuilt as a gift shop called `` Over Our Heads . '' Since the insurance on Edna 's Edibles had lapsed by the time of the fire , the girls contributed their insurance claim checks to help rebuild , effectively making Mrs. Garrett and the girls equal partners in the business . </P>
who played mrs garrett 's son on facts of life
who played mrs garrett 's son on facts of life
Tom Fitzsimmons Joel Brooks
Tom Fitzsimmons Joel Brooks