Olgin Carl "O.C." Dees' Obituary
Olgin Carl Dees, also known as OC, was born to his parents Carl and Avie Dees on September 4, 1924. OC and his brothers attended Gay Oakland High School in Gay, GA.
While attending Gay High School, he met and fell in love with a beautiful young woman named Betty Jean Noland, and they dated all through high school. After joining the service, OC was able to get leave and flew home to Gay, GA where he and Betty married in December of 1945.
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and America went to war. OC’s two brothers, JW and Morgan, went off to war. In 1943, OC joined the Navy and was sent to the U.S. Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois for basic training. After completing his training, he was assigned to the USS Cascade. The USS Cascade was a destroyer which sailed the South Pacific and escorted convoys, screening carrier task forces, supporting invasions and carrying out many other tasks. In 1945, the Cascade sailed to Okinawa which endured suicide raids and typhoon weather. OC was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1946.
OC and Betty moved from Gay to Atlanta where he obtained a job at the Atlanta Transit System. After working with the transit system, he went to work with Blue Plate Mayonnaise. In December 1949, their first son, Billy, was born.
Shortly after the Korean Way started up, OC joined the Army Reserve where he obtained the rank of Sergeant. He served from 1950 to 1953 and received an Honorable discharge. In 1954, their second son, Richard Morgan (Ricky) was born. After Ricky’s birth, the family moved to Mableton. At that time, OC went to work for Lockheed in Marietta.
In 1960, Betty obtained a job as a bookkeeper at South Cobb Skating Rink. OC began working with Betty running the rink at night. After leaving Lockheed, OC began working for Liberty National Insurance Company. He received many awards that allow he and Betty to attend conventions across the United States. After approximately 8 years of selling insurance and operating the skating rink, they decided to leave the skating rink and the insurance business and opening Dees Flower Shop. Their shop was so successful that the FTD selected them as one of the first Americans to travel to China, which enabled them to be the first ones to offer silk flowers from China in their shop. After their return from China, they opened up Dees Hallmark.
While Betty was running the flower shop and the Hallmark shop, OC became employed with Cobb County in the sign division of Code Compliance. One of his perks, he was able to meet Ted Turner, and was often a guest of Mr. Turner and attended a number of the Braves Spring Training Camps in Florida.
After selling the flower shop and the Hallmark shop, OC and Betty finally retired and moved to Hiram, GA. After living there for five years, they moved to Brunswick, GA to be with Ricky and Susan. In October of 2014, Betty passed away, and OC decided he wanted to move back to Peachtree City so he could be closer to his sister, Pearl, and brother, Aaron.
In May of 2016, he moved to Mobile, AL where Billy and Cindy live and enjoyed his new home. He called the William F. Green Veteran’s Home in Bay Minette, AL home until his death on February 21, 2019.
OC was a member the of the Masonic Lodge in Mableton and Mt. Harmony Baptist Church.
OC was preceded in death by his wife of 68 years, Betty Noland Dees. He is survived by his children, Billy (Cindy) Dees of Mobile, AL and Ricky (Susan) Dees of Bowden, GA; grandchildren, Chris Barfoot, Rich (LeAundra) Jone, Kari (Joey) Miranda, and Michael Tollison; great grandchildren, Christine Barfoot, William, Ellie, Marin, Hope and Nathan Jones, Jessica, Kayla, Bailey, and Addie Tollison; siblings, Pearl Andrews and Aaron (Marcia) Dees; brother-in-law, Morris Noland; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held Sunday, February 24, 1:00 PM at Davis-Struempf Funeral Home Chapel. The family will receive friends from 12:00 to 1:00 before the service. Interment will follow the service at Mt. Harmony Memorial Gardens.
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