Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe

Jeremiah "Jerry" Joseph O'Keefe, III (born July 12, 1923, Ocean Springs, MS) is an American World War II veteran and decorated fighter pilot ace. In addition he has served his state of Mississippi as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives and was the mayor of Biloxi in the 1970s. He is also a lifelong philanthropist and contributor to his community.

Military career
O'Keefe enlisted in the U.S. Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor and served from 1942-1943. Then he became a fighter pilot with the U.S. Marine Corps from 1943-1945. He was a 1st Lt. with the VMF-323 Marine Squadron, known as the "Death Rattlers". He gained recognition for his contributions to an dogfight in Okinawa on April 22, 1945 in which he shot down five enemy planes, becoming an ace in a single day. (This action was chronicled on the Dogfight TV series.) On April 28 Lt. O'Keefe shot down another two enemy planes bringing his total victories to seven which made him the highest scoring ace in Okinawa at the time.

Awards
Lt. O'Keefe received both the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service. In connection with the celebration of his 90th birthday on July 12, 2013, a bronze bust depicting him in his gear as a young aviator was installed in the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, honoring him as an ace and member of the Death Rattlers.

Family life
Jerry O'Keefe fathered 13 children with his wife Annette Saxon O'Keefe. Their family has a fondness for Southern cooking and story-telling which inspired their publication of a family cookbook in 1994. Annette O'Keefe died in 1998. Jerry O'Keefe is currently married to Martha Peterson O'Keefe.

Business
Jerry O'Keefe and his family have owned O'Keefe Funeral Homes since the early 1900s. In 1957 he bought his major competitor's business, creating Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Homes. He also founded a life insurance company, Gulf National Life. In 1996 O'Keefe won a contractual dispute trial being awarded over $500 million. He eventually received a combination of cash, stocks and a promissory note totalling nearly $115 million.

Political career
Jerry O'Keefe was elected to the Mississippi State Legislature in 1960 for one term until 1964. After serving his term in office, he spent most of his time involved in business and civic activities. He became the Mayor of Biloxi, MS for two terms from 1973 to 1981.

Philanthropy
Jerry O'Keefe was a major financial contributor and fundraiser for both the Walter Anderson Museum and the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art. He also created the O'Keefe Charitable Foundation and is active in many civic organizations.