Charles "Dixie" Hollis

Mr. Charles "Dixie" Hollis, age 85, of Biloxi, passed away on Friday, September 6, 2013. Dixie loved and lived life to the fullest and he left a lasting impression on many that knew him. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Daniel and Vola Hollis and brother Daniel Hollis, Jr., PhD. Survivors include his wife, Vesta, of 58 years; brother William “Bill” Hollis of Ocean Springs; daughter Sherry Hollis Shepherd (Preston) of Knoxville, TN; son Charles Dixie Hollis, Jr. (Erin) of Biloxi; four cherished grandchildren, Gavin and Lauren Shepherd, and Ross and Ian Hollis; and his beloved dog Paco. Dixie was born in San Antonio, Texas and his family moved to Biloxi in 1930 from Tampico, Mexico. He graduated from Biloxi High in 1946 where he was an accomplished athlete. Dixie attended the University of Alabama and graduated from the University of Mississippi where he lettered in track and was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. He also obtained a masters degree from the University of Alabama. Between undergrad and grad school, Dixie enlisted in the Army in 1951 and participated in the Nuclear bomb test in Nevada in 1953. As a career, Dixie worked for the Veterans Administration in Biloxi from 1955 to 1992. Dixie was a member of the Biloxi Jaycees, Mithras carnival organization, Shriners, Masons, Biloxi Chamber of Commerce, Sunkist Country Club, Biloxi Recreation Board, Biloxi Bay Chamber, and First United Methodist Church in Biloxi. Dixie, along with Tommy Munro, Larry Corban, Franklin Kyle, Buddy Gillis, Stanford Morse, Richard Schmidt and Bill Pittman served on the Board of Directors of the Yucatan Furniture Company with whom he enjoyed many pleasured Shareholder and Board of Director meetings in Mexico. Dixie was an avid fan of University of Alabama athletics and enjoyed fishing on the Mariner at Chandeleur Islands with Dr. Bolton, Buddy Gillis, and many other friends. He also served on the Biloxi School Board from 1967-1978 and was a lifelong member of the Biloxi Yacht Club where he served as Commodore in 1964 and served as the Official Starter on the Race Committee. Visitation will be on Monday, September 9, 2013, from 5pm until 7pm, at the Howard Avenue Chapel of Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home. On Tuesday, September 10, 2013, there will be an 11 am chapel service in the funeral home. Burial will follow in Southern Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight at www.mgchonorflight.org, Biloxi Yacht Club Youth Sailing Program at http://www.biloxiyc.org/, and/or the Humane Society of South Mississippi at http://www.hssm.org/.