If Heaven has ships, Marty is now editing God’s technical report concerning their design. Marty was born March 4, 1934 in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and being a product of the World War II generation, was instilled with the values and work ethic that lead to his dedicating his entire life to shipbuilding. Marty started as a ship fitter’s apprentice, worked his way into drafting and ultimately into engineering and design. It was his loyalty and passion for his chosen profession that resulted in his taking a job with Litton Industries in El Segundo, CA. In 1972, Litton transferred Marty, along with his family, to Ingalls in Pascagoula where he would make the Gulf Coast his home for the rest of his life. He retired from Ingalls after 32 years. The very next day he returned as a consultant for Anteon and then Alion where he continued to work in shipbuilding until the day of his death. Confucius wisely stated that a man who finds work that he loves never works again. Marty must have never worked.
In addition to his love and dedication to his working life, Marty was a master of sarcastic wit and had a flair for the theatrical. To say he had a great sense of humor would be an understatement. Anyone who knew Marty will acknowledge that almost any conversation included laughter. His courageous battle with an aggressive cancer in 1983, which he defeated soundly, only made his love of life, his use of sarcasm and his humor sharper. Marty’s flair for the theatrical was expressed through his decades-long association with local theaters such as the Walter Anderson Players, the Biloxi Little Theatre and Bay St. Louis Theatre as an actor and director. The plays he participated in were too numerous to count; his contributions too significant to measure.
Marty’s professional, comedic and theatrical acumen were all fed by his eye for art. He doodled, sketched, drew, painted, designed and built. His artistic eye fed his ideas and understanding of ship design and construction. His talent in visualizing how things should look and work was the fountain head of numerous award winning set designs with his beloved theatre. His joy of life and people inspired his myriad paintings and drawings.
Marty was preceded in death by his parents, Dennis and Mildred Fitzgerald of Weymouth, MA. He is survived by his wife, Lea Fitzgerald and four step children, Rob, Paul, Stephanie and Amber Sharpe all of Ocean Springs, MS; four children, Martin F. (Maddy) Fitzgerald, Jr., Denise J. Wilkinson, Shannon M. (Phil) Lampe, Christopher E. (Tara) Fitzgerald; eight grandchildren, Jordan, Sommer, Lauren, Sarah, Taylor, Jared, Joshua, and Eric, one step-grandchild, Sadie; and two great grandchildren, Cayden and Livia; brothers Edwin (Eleanor) of Londonderry, NH. and David (Susan) of Mashpee, MA.; sister Dorothy of Brunswick, ME.; numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
Visitation was on Friday, June 18, 2010, from 5 pm until 7 pm, with a 7 pm Chapel Service, all at the Ocean Springs Chapel of Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home.
Mrs. Gladys Cowart Misko, 81, of Biloxi, MS, died Friday, June 11, 2010, in Ocean Springs.
Mrs. Misko was born in George County and had been a longtime resident of the coast. She was retired from AAFES as a food handler at Keesler Field..
Survivors include her husband of 64 years, Peter D. Misko, Jr.; three daughters, Elizabeth (Pat) Cox, Katherine (Milton) Atchison and Jeanette (Pat) Leonard; son, Louis (Amy) Misko; three grandchildren, Mark Cox, Katie Atchison (Shaun Hartmann) and Eric Atchison; three great grandchildren, Jared Hartmann, Aiden Atchison and Dylan Hartmann; and various brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, June 15, 2010, at 11 a.m. at Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home, Howard Avenue, in Biloxi where friends visited one hour before service time. Interment followed in Crestlawn Memorial Park in Ocean Springs.
Dr. William “Bill” Lyddon of Ocean Springs, died on Thursday, June 10, 2010.
Bill was a distinguished professor of psychology at The University of Southern Mississippi from 1989-2008. During his career at USM he published over 95 journal articles and book chapters and also participated in several international conferences in such locations as Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, and British Columbia. The most important part of his professional life was the strong mentoring relationship that he developed with his students. Under his direction, 25 graduate students earned the doctoral degree and are now serving in universities and counseling centers all over the world.
Bill was born in Denver and received degrees from The University of Southern Mississippi, California State University, Fresno, and the University of California at Santa Barbara. In 1979, he married his wife of 30 years, Darlys Alford (who also taught psychology at USM Gulf Coast).
Outside of his work at the University, Bill was an accomplished jazz guitarist, arranger, and composer; he enjoyed international and independent films; he often shared his love of cooking Thai and Asian dishes with friends and family.
Bill is preceded in death by his grandparents, Anna and Victor Novak of Denver, CO, and Marjorie Lyddon of Buffalo, NY; aunts and uncles Estelle and Andy Bielanowski of Fresno, CA, and Al Novak of Utah.
He is survived by his parents Thomas Lyddon of Waveland and Laura and Aubrey Saxon of Hattiesburg; beloved wife Darlys Alford and two sons, Nathan Wiens of Ocean Springs, and David Wiens of San Francisco, CA; two brothers, Tim Lyddon of the Philippines and Mike Lyddon of Lima, Peru; aunts Delores Upton of Denver and Marge Novak of Utah; and numerous cousins.
Bill’s professional contributions, wonderful humor, beautiful music, and ability to love and accept others will live on in the hearts and minds of those who were fortunate enough to know him.
A Memorial Service to celebrate Bill’s life will be held at the Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home at 911 Porter Avenue in Ocean Springs, MS, at 1:00 p.m. on June 26, 2010. Visitation for family and friends will begin at noon.
Frank L. Verner, 83, known to all as “Capt Frank” passed away June 8th at his home after a brief illness.
He spent 40 years at sea commanding small vessels to ocean going cargo and passenger vessels. His ship was toured by President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Roslyn while in port in Africa. He retired from Delta Lines in 1987 and was an “on call” captain for Ingalls Shipbuilding when needed to conduct sea trials for naval ships. In WWII he served in the Army and then in the Merchant Marines carrying troops and supplies all over the world. If anyone could say “been there, done that” it was Capt Frank. An avid hunter and fisherman, he was always the first one ready to go. A 50 year member of the VFW, he was also a member of the American Merchant Marines MS Gulf Coast Chapter.
Born in Ocean Springs to Thomas Eugene Verner and Anne Buehler Verner, he was raised by his grandmother affectionately called “Mom”. His siblings are Walterine “Sis” Redding, Laura Verner, Dr. Buck Verner of Memphis and Juanita Costley.
He is preceded in death by his precious wife of 51 years Jewel Verner. Although they had no children, he is survived by long time friend George Kiernan IV, a sister-in-law Margarite Hays and her husband, Robert, of Birmingham AL, and numerous friends
A special thanks to Pam Walerczak for the care she gave and to Sharon Gartner for all of her help with so many other things.
Funeral Services were held on Thursday, June 10, 2010, at 11 am, at the Pass Road Chapel of Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home, 2511 Pass Road, Biloxi, with Rev. Bill Bagby officiating. Friends were able to call one hour prior to service. Burial followed in the Biloxi National Cemetery with full military honors.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, PO BOX 50 Memphis TN 38101-9929.
Post a Comment