Oscar Dove, Jr.

Oscar Dennis Dove, Jr., age 96 of Biloxi, MS went to be with our Lord and Savior on September 19, 2020.

Oscar was born November 15, 1923, in El Dorado , Arkansas. He was a graduate of El Dorado High School. He later went to college and attended Arkansas A&M, Northwestern State University, and Columbia University Midshipmen's School. He earned his degree in Natural Science and Biology from Northwestern State University.

While attending Arkansas A&M College in Monticello, Oscar played Center for the famous “Wandering Weevils” football team at an athletic size of 5-feet, 8-inches tall and 160-pounds. The “Wandering Weevils” traveled across America in a green-and-white bus they called the “Green Dog”. In one year alone, they traveled more than 10,000-miles and visited 17-states where they filled stadiums with fans eager to be entertained and see their home team win. The “Wandering Weevils” were described then as the “Marx Brothers of Football”, and later compared to basketball’s Harlem Globetrotters because of their bizarre antics, crazy formations, and reputation for playing the game for the sheer fun of it. If you came to one of their games there was a chance you may see some star players enter the field wearing a top hat, coattails, and white gloves...or plays run into the huddle on a bicycle where the coach may run the “Swinging Gate”, ”Whirlwind”, or “London Bridge is Falling Down”. You might also see other zany acts like a player doing a complete somersault after catching a pass or the running back flipping the ball to the referee mid-play to give himself a break. During one game the Weevils had to play with only nine players because the other two scurried off to the press box where they proceeded to serenade the crowd with “You Are My Sunshine”! They were not known for their record, they only won three games during the entire 1939, 1940, and 1941 seasons but their nifty losses were worth the price of admission. In a New York Times interview, Weevils Coach Stewart Ferguson was quoted as saying “the scores don’t matter, we’ll trade a laugh for a touchdown any day.” Coach Ferguson told his team “when you play for the fun in a game, how can you lose?” The “Wandering Weevils” traveling football act ended after three seasons when World War II pulled most of the able bodied players from campuses nationwide including Oscar Dove, Jr.

In 1942 Oscar left Monticello, Arkansas behind for the U.S. Navy when he traveled to New York City to attend the Midshipmen’s School at Columbia University to prepare for being an officer in World War II. During World War II, the Midshipmen’s School at Columbia graduated more new officers than the Naval Academy at Annapolis. Upon graduation from Midshipmen’s School in 1943, he began his Navy career as an officer on the USS Bayfield in the Chinese-Korean campaign during World War ll. He was later transferred to the naval reserve in 1956 as Lt. Commander of the USS Antietam.

After leaving the Navy, Oscar began his career in the civil service at Keesler Air Force Base as an electronics instructor and supervisor until retirement in 1978. Oscar met his wife, Joyce, in Larose, Louisiana and they married in 1953. The couple raised their three children, Marty, Melissa, and Sondra in Biloxi, MS.

Oscar was a member of Fernwood Baptist Church where he served as a Deacon and a Men’s Sunday School teacher.

Oscar is preceded in death by his parents, Oscar D. Dove, Sr. and Erma East Dove; his wife of 59 years, Joyce Dominique Dove; and, his infant granddaughter, Reese Evelyn Smith.

Survivors include his children; son, Marty (Paulette) Dove, daughters Melissa (Mark) Mansfield and Sondra (Marvin) Smith; granddaughters, Stephanie (Jack) Norris, Ashley (Chris) Bryson, Candice (Nacis) Theriot, Hadley Evelyn Smith, and Maison Olivia Smith; and, great grandchildren Blake, Brennan, Lily, Maddie, Walt, Beau, Alex and Olivia.

Our family would like to thank his Seashore Highlands family Alex Sullivan, Brittany Miller, Brenda Rhodes, Carlie Papania, Willette Cooper and his cajun buddy, Joni Guidry.

Thank you for loving our Dad. We are forever grateful for the compassion you have shown our Dad during his time spent with you.

A graveside service will be held at 2:30 PM, Wednesday, September 23, 2020, at Southern Memorial Park, Biloxi, with a visitation from 2:00 PM until the service.

RIEMANN FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, Gulfport, is serving the family. An online obituary may be viewed and memories shared at www.riemannfamily.com