Marvin Alvin Flowers

Marvin Alvin Flowers, 89, of Biloxi, MS passed away on Friday, June 11, 2021. Marvin was born September 16, 1931 in Harrison County, Biloxi, MS, "on the Point" to Eli and Belle (Smith) Flowers. His mother worked in the seafood factories and his father taught him to fish, throw a mullet net, shrimp, tong oysters, and crab and to hunt squirrel and rabbit. He spent his childhood "on the Bay", "out front" and in the woods on the point hunting. Born during the Depression, his family had a small garden, chickens, and a milk cow. His father would load the bed of an old pickup with hay and iced down whatever seafood was in season and would take him "up country" north of the Bay and trade for home canned vegetables, fruit, and jellies. He often said there may not have been much pocket money, but they never went hungry. He was on the boxing team in high school and graduated "Class of 1951" from Biloxi High School. That June he and his friends Shelton Wade and Buster Champagne joined the United States Marine Corp. After boot camp he said the Marines gave him the most dangerous job of his life training new recruits to handle firearms spending the majority of the time yelling “point your weapon at the target, not at me". He spent a two-year tour of duty at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. While there, he was chosen to join the USMC Rifle and Side-arm Team and participated in competitions against British Marines. It was during that time the Marines stopped using mules for patrol duty and began using jeeps. His last duty station was Pensacola, FL. After being discharged in 1956, he was employed at Brookley AFB in Mobile, AL until the base was closed and transferred to Keesler AFB in Biloxi where he retired from Civil Engineering in 1988. After moving to Biloxi, he joined the Air Force Reserve and was discharged in 1981. He was manager/caretaker of the Camp Wilks Boy Scout Camp in North Biloxi from 1968 to 1970 before, during and after Hurricane Camille. He held the title of Chief of the East End Volunteer Fire Company for the year of 1984-1985. He was a member of the #606 Elks. Lodge in Biloxi, the VFW, and the American Legion. After Hurricane Katrina he developed a new passion. He has always had a green thumb and grew beautiful flowers, vegetables, -- plants of all kinds -- but he really excelled with his citrus trees-grapefruit, satsumas, oranges, and kumquat. Friends and family will have to pick their own now. Above all else, Marvin loved and lived for his daughters and they deeply love him in return. Family was his number one priority. He loved children and animals. He always has had a dog and he fed any animal or person he thought might be hungry. He was a man of integrity-his word/hand shake was his bond and he was as good as his word. Marvin is preceded in death by his parents, his daughter Terrie (Flowers) Bryant, his brother Archie Lee and sister in-law Ettie (Gollett) Flowers, his sisters Katherine (Flowers) Brown and Hilda (Flowers) Byrd, brother-in-law Clarence "Shorty" Byrd and nephew Fred Byrd. Survivors include his wife Lou Flowers, his daughters Wanda (Flowers) Dubaz and her life partner KayLynn of Canyon Lake, TX, Beverly Flowers of Houston TX, Carolyn (Dan) Kupfer of Fort Meyers, FL, Doranne McKibben of Biloxi, Brenda (Mark) Headrick of Gulfport and Candy (Avery) Henson of St. Martin. Eleven grandchildren: Christina Bryant (Wes) McManus of Jackson, MS, William R Bryant of Ames, lowa, Angela Kupfer of S Jordan, UT, Kristy (Kupfer) Wall of S. Jordan, UT, David (Valeria) Kupfer of AZ, Erieann McKibben (Charles) Gray of Biloxi, Jessica McKibben (Allen) House of Biloxi, Chase (Amanda) Headrick of Gainesville, FL, Erica Headrick (Rob) Meador of Gulfport, Alivia Henson (Tristan) Boccaccio of St. Martin, and Johnathan Henson of St. Martin. Eleven great grandchildren: Ford McManus, Dillon Kupfer, Bentley Wall, Aria Wall, Audreylyne House, Aurora House, Allysa Ladner, Tyler Ladner, Ashlyn Ladner, Addison Headrick, and Mauve Boccaccio. Great-great grandson Kylin Dixson. Brother-in-law Roy Brown, niece Kitty (Jim) Gardner of San Antonia, TX, nephew Bill (Jeanette)l Brown of Gulfport, great nephews Brandon (Kim) and Casey Brown and the mother of his daughters, Era (Peek) Flowers. Donations may be made in Marvin's name to your local animal shelter or his preferred charity of St. Jude's Children Hospital. The family would like to extend a thank you to Dr. Ralph Bledsow of Central Missionary Baptist Church of Gulfport for conducting Mr. Marvin's service Friday morning and to Kare-in-home Hospice, especially his nurse, Taylor, for being so good to Mr. Marvin. Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 24, 2021 from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm with funeral services on Friday, June 25, 2021 at 11:30 am, all at Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home on Howard Avenue in Biloxi. Interment will follow at Biloxi National Cemetery. A memorial fellowship will be held after the graveside service at Elk's Lodge 606, 1178 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, MS at 1:00 pm. Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home is honored to serve the Flowers family.