George Higginbotham

George Joseph Higginbotham

1921 ~ 2014

Woolmarket

George Joseph Higginbotham, 93, died at his home in Woolmarket on Monday, July 28, 2014.

George was born on May 17, 1921 in Youngsville, LA but spent most of his life in Biloxi and Woolmarket, MS. He was the son of Nelson Higginbotham and Edna (Delcambre) Higginbotham. He was of the Catholic faith. George was a past president of the Fleur de Lis Society, lifetime member of the 4th Degree Knights of Columbus, and was a lifetime member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2434. He served as Biloxi Shrimp King with his granddaughter as Queen in 1998.

George was a loving husband for 66 years, a devoted father of eleven children, 22 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.

PFC George Higginbotham served as a Marine in WWII from 1944 to 1945 with the 1st Marine Division seeing combat in the invasion of Okinawa, Japan. He was wounded on June 19, 1945 and 50 years later received his Purple Heart Medal during a special presentation in July of 2004. He spent most of his life working in the seafood industry. Starting out working on oyster and shrimp boats with his dad and retiring as co-owner of Del's Seaway Shrimp and Oyster Company with his cousin Paul J. Delcambre, Sr. located on Biloxi's Back Bay.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Jewell Higginbotham; daughter, Brenda (Higginbotham) LeGrone; sons, John and Scott Higginbotham; and daughter-in-law Diane (Rose) Higginbotham; his parents; 3 brothers, Percy, Curtis and Carey Higginbotham; and sister, Shirley Parker.

George is survived by four daughters, Donna (Walter) Brightman, Lori (Clyde) Jacquet, Debbye and Sandy Higginbotham; four sons, Kenneth (Donna), Keith (Ann), Gregory (Cozy), and Richard Higginbotham; daughter-in-law, Susan Higginbotham; son-in-law, James LeGrone; two sisters, Melba R. Higginbotham and Rose Mary Tiblier; brother, Dennis Higginbotham; longtime friend of the family and care giver, Rebecca Phillips; longtime and loyal friend, Jerry Ellis; grandchildren, Juli (Hubert) Callahan, Archie (Stephanie) LeGrone, Kenny Kweens, Amber (Chris) Thibodeaux, Josh (Joy) Duncan, Kim (Eddie) Rodgers, Mike (Michelle) Duncan, Ashley (Sonny) Seymour, Angie Hood, Walter W. Brightman, Jamie (Jimmy) Mathews, Christian (Daniel) Preston, Matthew (Melody) Compton, Shawn Jacquet, April Gruich, Amanda (Johnny) White, Andrew Higginbotham, Josh (Krystal) Ellis, Kyle (Emileigh) Ellis, Amy (Dylan) Hauge, Bayleigh Thornton, Sydney Cannette and 30 great-grandchildren.

The family would like to thank Deaconess Home Health Care, Dr. Bradley Heitzman, Dr. Eva Magarios and Dr. Charles Gruich.

The family prefers memorials be sent to the Wounded Warriors Veteran Program, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675 or the St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy, 735 Division St., Biloxi, MS 39530.

Visitation is Saturday, August 2, 2014 at Blessed Seelos Catholic Church (St. John's) on Lameuse St, Biloxi from 9:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 12:00 noon. Interment will follow at Biloxi City Cemetery. The Howard Avenue Chapel of Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

View and sign register book at www.bradfordokeefe.com