Gregory Paul Radich

Gregory Paul Radich, age 67, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 28^th, 2022, at home with family following a courageous three year battle with mesothelioma.  Greg was loved and respected and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Greg was born September 16, 1954, in Cherry Point, North Carolina, and lived in various states since his dad, a Biloxi native, served in the Marine Corp and eventually moved back to the Mississippi coast. Greg graduated from St. Martin High School in 1972 and later from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.  Greg established strong roots locally, having worked at Ingalls Shipyard as a welder for five years and then spent thirty years molding and mentoring the lives of many local students as a Vocational Instructor in Welding Specialties and VICA sponsor at Biloxi High School. He was appointed to the writing team for the Mississippi Curriculum Framework for Welding in 1996.  During his teaching career, Greg was awarded the Biloxi High School Teacher of the Year and the Mississippi Vocational Teacher of the Year. Following his retirement from teaching in 2007, he owned Greg Radich Welding Ironworks, finding his place enjoying the creation of custom gates, fences, lighted Christmas displays for the Biloxi Lighthouse and the Town Green and Mardi Gras collars for local krewes and private clients.  He was well known for saying he could “weld anything from a broken heart to the crack of dawn,” a sentiment that will long be cherished by his family and friends.

Among his multiple talents and interests, Greg was an avid sportsman (game hunter and fisherman, loving every chance he had to be among the trees or on the water), a New Orleans Saints fan, a proud husband, father and grandfather, a quick wit and storyteller, and a general all-around “nothing he couldn’t do” builder and gardener.   In more recent years he expanded his hobbies by making homemade wine and spending more time with his Slavonian Lodge and hunting club friends.  Greg was a parishioner of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Woolmarket.

Greg was preceded in death by his beloved parents, Mr. John G. Radich and Mrs. Delores “Doe” R. Radich of D’Iberville.  He is survived by his loving wife of twenty-three years, Elisa Joachim Radich of Biloxi, and three children, Dr. E. Radich, Ph.D. of Old Saybrook, Connecticut, Chad Radich (Christy) of D’Iberville and Anna Elisabeth Radich of Biloxi; his six grandchildren, Piper, Silas, and Greenlee Radich of St. Martin and Lexi, Liyah and Drew Radich of D’Iberville. He is additionally survived by his brothers, John Radich of Latimer and Marc Radich of Vancleave, and the family’s beloved dogs, Jake and Ellie.

In lieu of flowers, the Radich family would prefer online donations to be made to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation at www.curemeso.org  Elisa and family would like to give special thanks to Dr. Olivia Hightower and staff at Memorial Hospital at Gulfport and the Cedar Lake Infusion Clinic, Kare-In-Home hospice staff and give grateful appreciation for the help of family, friends and sitters.

Services for Greg will be held on Saturday, July 2^nd, 2022, at 3:00 pm at the Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home on 675 Howard Avenue in Biloxi.  Visitation will be held for family beginning at 1:30 pm and friends at 2:00 pm.  Following the main service, there will be a reception in celebration of Greg’s life, held at the Slavonian Lodge at 159 Maple Street in Biloxi.  Interment will be a private family service at a later date.  Condolences and tributes may be shared with the family at www.bokfh.com