Carl Anthony Lizana, Jr.

Carl Anthony Lizana, Jr. age 84, of Gulfport passed away on Thursday August 29, 2019. Mr. Lizana was a devoted husband and father and lifetime resident of Gulfport. He was a successful coast businessman that owned and operated some of the Coast’s most popular businesses that included Aunt Jenny’s Catfish Restaurant, Anthony’s, Gulfport Quickfreeze and the White Cap Seafood Restaurant. He was very active in restaurant industry in South Mississippi and established the Mississippi Gulf Coast Restaurant Association and Chefs of the Coast. Mr. Lizana attended Gulfport High School and was one the Commodores last Four Sport Letterman, he received many college football scholarships before going to war. Mr. Lizana proudly served in the United States Army during the Korean War. After the war he went on to work for General Electric working on radar installations. He was an avid golfer and was actively engaged in the industry on the Gulf Coast and went on to help establish the Great Southern Golf Club, Inc. and served as its president for many of its most successful years. One of Mr. Lizana’s most proud and little-known accomplishments was a novel idea he came up with, following a tough economic year in 1979, bringing legalized gambling to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, thus spun lobbying efforts that would go on to establish the modern-day gaming industry in Mississippi. Mr. Lizana had many wonderful friends and could always be found with them at his favorite seat in the mornings at Triplet-Day Pharmacy or at his corner table at the White Cap during lunchtime. He was preceded in death by his wonderful wife Jeanette Casper Lizana; his parents Carl A. Lizana Sr. and Idumea Richards Lizana; brother William “Billy Joe” Lizana. He is survived by his sister, Carlene Lizana Robinson; sons, Carl A. “Buck” Lizana, III and Raymond Casper Lizana; daughters, Margaret Kathy Dibble and Mary Lucy Palazzo; 17 loving grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Gulfport on Tuesday, September 3, 2019, at 11:00 am Visitation will begin at 9:30 am. Burial will follow at Evergreen Gardens. Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, 15th Street, Gulfport is in charge of arrangements.