1930
George
2019
George DeCoux, Jr.
August 15, 1930 — March 18, 2019
George A DeCoux Jr. of Gulfport, MS, a state and nationally recognized figure in the Park Recreation and Leisure Services Profession and Director of Gulfport Leisure Services, 1990-2005, passed away in the Handsboro Community of Gulfport on March 18, 2019, surrounded by family.
He was born on August 15, 1930 in Port Arthur, TX to George Antoine DeCoux and Monique (Braquet) DeCoux. He attended St James High School in Port Arthur where he was a three Sport Letterman and a member of the 1946 St James TX Catholic High School Football Champions. In 1947 St James was sponsored and flew to play Cathedral Prep, Erie PA, Aquinas Institute, Rochester NY, Chaminade Prep, Dayton Ohio, and Marist Institute, Atlanta GA losing only to Marist. He also had a passion for swimming, working summers as a lifeguard during high school and taught competitive swimming.
He received a football scholarship to Stephen F Austin University, Nacogdoches, TX. He was a letterman in 1949 and 1950. He also coached youth Nacogdoches swim teams and produced swimmers who set local records and received college scholarships. In 1951 along with several football teammates he enlisted in the USAF to serve during the Korean War. He served at Chanute AFB, IL until 1955. While at Chanute, he led his base swim team to the AF-wide championship and was chosen to coach the AF team to the Interservice Championships. The highlight of his coaching journey was to train AF representatives to the Pan Am trials at Michigan State. He returned to SFA in 1955 and received a BS in Physical Education Administration in 1957 and a Master's Degree (M Ed) in 1958. On graduation he was hired by the USAF as a Civilian director of Sports and Recreation at Chanute AFB, IL where he had previously served.
In 1961 he was hired as Director at Keesler AFB, MS. While Director at Keesler, he was a primary figure in development of the original Keesler Marina with rental floating boat slips for private boats and a 40-boat rental program for military personnel. His distinguished career included many awards such as the first General Curtis E Lemay program award in 1965 as the most outstanding base recreation program in the AF. He was a two-time recipient of the AF Meritorious Recreation Award as USAF Outstanding Director.
A leader in the professional recreation movement in Mississippi, he was one of the founding fathers of the Mississippi Parks and Recreation Association in the mid 1960's. He served as MPRA President from 1974-75 and was recipient of MRPA Professional of the year award in 1975. From 1977 to 1990 he represented MRPA on the 10-state Southern Regional Council of the National Recreation and Parks Association in Atlanta. In 1980 the Council elected him chairman and presented him their Harold D Meyer Professional Award for his contributions to the recreation movement in the South. In 1983 the Council elected him as the southern region representative to the NRPA Board of Trustees on which he then served from 1983 to 1990. At their national conference in Salt Lake UT in 1997, the NRPA Trustees awarded him their Ralph Wilson National Award named after one of their most distinguished leaders. In the January 2008 edition of their National Magazine, NRPA recognized his accomplishments in a full-page article in their series "Trailblazers in Southern Leisure and Recreation".
He retired from USAF Civil Service in 1990 at Keesler AFB and was hired by Mayor Ken Combs as Director of Leisure Services for the City of Gulfport the same year. As Director, he was concerned that Gulfport had no public launch ramps on backwaters of Bayou Bernard. He constructed modern public launches at Switzer Rd Park, Kremer Marine, and Gulfport Lake as well as Courthouse Rd ramps now known as Ken Combs Pier. His dream was to build a sports plex for Gulfport second to none in the south. After a 7-year journey, the dream became a reality with the opening of the $12 million, 225-acre Gulfport Sportsplex on Interstate 10. He then interested investors who constructed an additional $8 million waterpark at no cost to the city. It also paid annual land lease fees and a percentage of entry fees to the city. Today it is a major Gulf Coast summer recreational attraction for residents and tourists alike.
A yesterday's type man, he restored an historic American Creole home in old Handsboro with 100-300-year-old Gulf Coast oaks on two acres which he named "Beau Chene". He landscaped the property with native southern plantings. His gardens were impressive enough to be featured on the Gulf Coast annual spring pilgrimage sponsored by the MS Gulf Coast Council of Garden Clubs four times between 1994-2013. There was also a full-page feature in the Daily Herald in April, 2013 entitled "A Step Back in Time".
He had a special love for his family name and his family history. He spent over 20 years tracing his family history back to its origins in the 10 th century in Ancient France. He traveled back and forth to France over seven times from 1991-2008 to visit relatives, work with genealogists, and produce his family's story. The progenitor of his Louisiana family, Jacque DeCoux, landed on Ship Island and Biloxi on 20 November 1720. They lived along the Mississippi River at Pointe Coupee for almost 100 years and were a part of that areas early colonial history. A great-aunt built Longwood Plantation in Baton Rouge on the river, and it still stands today.
He was preceded in death by his first wife Vern Freeman, his two brothers Joseph DeCoux and Michael DeCoux, and his sister Barbara DeCoux.
He is survived by his wife Elizabeth DeCoux of Gulfport, sons George A DeCoux III of San Antonio, TX, William DeCoux of Melbourne, FL, Robert DeCoux of Atlanta, GA, daughter Jackie DeCoux of Gulfport, MS, eight grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
The funeral service will be at 1 pm, Monday, March 25, 2019, at the RIEMANN FAMILY FUNEAL HOME, 11280 Three Rivers Rd where friends may visit from 11 am - 1 pm. Interment will be at Biloxi National Cemetery, and pallbearers will be his sons George, William, Robert, and his grandsons.
An online guestbook may be signed and condolences offered at www.riemannfamily.com
He was born on August 15, 1930 in Port Arthur, TX to George Antoine DeCoux and Monique (Braquet) DeCoux. He attended St James High School in Port Arthur where he was a three Sport Letterman and a member of the 1946 St James TX Catholic High School Football Champions. In 1947 St James was sponsored and flew to play Cathedral Prep, Erie PA, Aquinas Institute, Rochester NY, Chaminade Prep, Dayton Ohio, and Marist Institute, Atlanta GA losing only to Marist. He also had a passion for swimming, working summers as a lifeguard during high school and taught competitive swimming.
He received a football scholarship to Stephen F Austin University, Nacogdoches, TX. He was a letterman in 1949 and 1950. He also coached youth Nacogdoches swim teams and produced swimmers who set local records and received college scholarships. In 1951 along with several football teammates he enlisted in the USAF to serve during the Korean War. He served at Chanute AFB, IL until 1955. While at Chanute, he led his base swim team to the AF-wide championship and was chosen to coach the AF team to the Interservice Championships. The highlight of his coaching journey was to train AF representatives to the Pan Am trials at Michigan State. He returned to SFA in 1955 and received a BS in Physical Education Administration in 1957 and a Master's Degree (M Ed) in 1958. On graduation he was hired by the USAF as a Civilian director of Sports and Recreation at Chanute AFB, IL where he had previously served.
In 1961 he was hired as Director at Keesler AFB, MS. While Director at Keesler, he was a primary figure in development of the original Keesler Marina with rental floating boat slips for private boats and a 40-boat rental program for military personnel. His distinguished career included many awards such as the first General Curtis E Lemay program award in 1965 as the most outstanding base recreation program in the AF. He was a two-time recipient of the AF Meritorious Recreation Award as USAF Outstanding Director.
A leader in the professional recreation movement in Mississippi, he was one of the founding fathers of the Mississippi Parks and Recreation Association in the mid 1960's. He served as MPRA President from 1974-75 and was recipient of MRPA Professional of the year award in 1975. From 1977 to 1990 he represented MRPA on the 10-state Southern Regional Council of the National Recreation and Parks Association in Atlanta. In 1980 the Council elected him chairman and presented him their Harold D Meyer Professional Award for his contributions to the recreation movement in the South. In 1983 the Council elected him as the southern region representative to the NRPA Board of Trustees on which he then served from 1983 to 1990. At their national conference in Salt Lake UT in 1997, the NRPA Trustees awarded him their Ralph Wilson National Award named after one of their most distinguished leaders. In the January 2008 edition of their National Magazine, NRPA recognized his accomplishments in a full-page article in their series "Trailblazers in Southern Leisure and Recreation".
He retired from USAF Civil Service in 1990 at Keesler AFB and was hired by Mayor Ken Combs as Director of Leisure Services for the City of Gulfport the same year. As Director, he was concerned that Gulfport had no public launch ramps on backwaters of Bayou Bernard. He constructed modern public launches at Switzer Rd Park, Kremer Marine, and Gulfport Lake as well as Courthouse Rd ramps now known as Ken Combs Pier. His dream was to build a sports plex for Gulfport second to none in the south. After a 7-year journey, the dream became a reality with the opening of the $12 million, 225-acre Gulfport Sportsplex on Interstate 10. He then interested investors who constructed an additional $8 million waterpark at no cost to the city. It also paid annual land lease fees and a percentage of entry fees to the city. Today it is a major Gulf Coast summer recreational attraction for residents and tourists alike.
A yesterday's type man, he restored an historic American Creole home in old Handsboro with 100-300-year-old Gulf Coast oaks on two acres which he named "Beau Chene". He landscaped the property with native southern plantings. His gardens were impressive enough to be featured on the Gulf Coast annual spring pilgrimage sponsored by the MS Gulf Coast Council of Garden Clubs four times between 1994-2013. There was also a full-page feature in the Daily Herald in April, 2013 entitled "A Step Back in Time".
He had a special love for his family name and his family history. He spent over 20 years tracing his family history back to its origins in the 10 th century in Ancient France. He traveled back and forth to France over seven times from 1991-2008 to visit relatives, work with genealogists, and produce his family's story. The progenitor of his Louisiana family, Jacque DeCoux, landed on Ship Island and Biloxi on 20 November 1720. They lived along the Mississippi River at Pointe Coupee for almost 100 years and were a part of that areas early colonial history. A great-aunt built Longwood Plantation in Baton Rouge on the river, and it still stands today.
He was preceded in death by his first wife Vern Freeman, his two brothers Joseph DeCoux and Michael DeCoux, and his sister Barbara DeCoux.
He is survived by his wife Elizabeth DeCoux of Gulfport, sons George A DeCoux III of San Antonio, TX, William DeCoux of Melbourne, FL, Robert DeCoux of Atlanta, GA, daughter Jackie DeCoux of Gulfport, MS, eight grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
The funeral service will be at 1 pm, Monday, March 25, 2019, at the RIEMANN FAMILY FUNEAL HOME, 11280 Three Rivers Rd where friends may visit from 11 am - 1 pm. Interment will be at Biloxi National Cemetery, and pallbearers will be his sons George, William, Robert, and his grandsons.
An online guestbook may be signed and condolences offered at www.riemannfamily.com
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of George DeCoux, Jr., please visit our flower store.
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