Otho Dee Vivian, Jr's Obituary
Otho Dee Vivian Jr. (Dee) was born November the 5th, 1931, in the South Texas town of Bishop, and died peacefully, on May 31, 2019, in Hayward, CA.He was predeceased by his parents, Texas Ranger, Otho Dee Vivian Sr., and Singne Olivia Nordberg (from Cuba), as well as his older brother, Colonel, Lawrence Edward Vivian.Dee grew up in Carrizo Springs, TX, but, due to great poverty, and the fact that he was 6’4” tall, at the age of 16, he told the Navy recruiter in San Antonio, TX, that he was 18 years old and enlisted in the Navy on, July, 7th, 1948.Dee was assigned to the USS Whiteside and celebrated his 17th birthday in Tsingtao, China, where American forces were involved in a “delaying” action against the Communist Chinese, in order for the free Chinese, to escape to the island nation, modernly known as, Taiwan, and to destroy American storage facilities Tsingtao. At one point, because Dee was tall, and knew how to shoot, he was assigned as a rifleman on a landing craft. Dee was blinded in one eye and shipped back to the U.S. where he was hospitalized for one year and honorably discharged due to his injury, from the Navy, a changed man, in November, 1950, seven months before the start of the Korean War. Dee never told his family about these events until six months before his death.After being discharged from the navy, Dee worked as a barber and eventually opened his own business, Dee’s Burls, where he made, clocks, tables, pen sets, and more.Also, as a member of the Free Masons, Dee received his 50 year pin from the Acacia Lodge, in Hayward, CA, in February, 2019.Dee is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 41 years, Pamela Vivian of Hayward, CA, as well as, his brother Earnest Vivian of Gonzales, TX, three children, Kathleen Rose, of Cibolo, TX, Otho Dee Vivian III (Jake), of Forestville, CA, and Christopher Vivian, of Santa Rosa, CA, Dee is also survived by seven grandchildren, one step daughter, Barbara Ritter, of Manteca, CA, two step-grandchildren and four step-great grandchildren. He also leaves behind many loving and caring nieces and cousins.Dee will be buried on June, 6th, 2019, with full military honors at Santa Rosa Memorial Park Veterans Cemetery, in Santa Rosa, CA.
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