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Oliver Gene Criswell of Gainesville, FL passed peacefully at 91 years young on Aug 15th, 2021, at E.T. York Center. He is preceded in death by his Parents, McKinley & Fannie Criswell. Siblings include his brothers: Herschel, Marvin, & Bobby Criswell and Sisters: Irene Myrtle Dees, Norma Herring, Carol Jean Criswell, & Mary Lou Peters, His survivors include his sisters Dorothy Mogy and Betty Bell, Children: Gene McKinnly, (Kimberly) Criswell, Curtis James (Melisa) Criswell, Joseph Randall (Nikki) Criswell. He had 8 Grandchildren: Johnathan, Timothy, Jessica, Clinton, Lil’ John, Samantha, Alyssa, & Curtis. He was blessed with 15 beautiful Great Grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, and extended family. He was a very loving man with a huge heart for his Family. Always willing to help others in time of need. His accomplishments include an Honorable discharge he was given from the United States Armed Forces, serving in the US Army. He also retired from the University of Florida after 30 years of Service. His hobbies included bowling, his shrubbery and flower gardens, any chance to work in the yard and he loved spending time with his family! Arrangements are under the care of Forest Meadows Funeral Home at 725 NW 23rd AVE, Gainesville, FL 32609 Viewing will be held on Thurs, AUG 19th, 2021 from 10AM to 12PM with a Graveside Service to follow directly after at Forest Meadows Memorial Park-East 3700 SE Hawthorne Rd, Gainesville, FL 32641.
I am so sorry for your loss Curtis. May God be with during this difficult time.
your sisters Betty and Dorothy will miss you but you will. be in our ???? forever . Thank you from Candi and I for taking me to Texas as she is here because of that trip back in 1954 . Thank you for all your letters when you were in the army and over in Germany I missed you so much at age 8 when you joined as you were my brother that kept me laughing and every sibling should have a Brother like you Loving you for 84 years +
Uncle Gene, You are an Uncle that will never be forgotten. You brought many smiles and laughs to us all. You will leave a void on this earth but you will make the place you are in now even brighter. My prayers and thoughts with all the family.
Uncle Gene,
You will always be remembered in my heart you were always there when I needed someone say I love you I was going to be okay my dad was working and even when he passed maybe there and I thank you for that. I have loved you always I know I will see you in heaven one day. There must be a big party going on. I love you to the Moon and back and I will see you again one day and you will live forever in my heart. I love you always. Belinda
Dearest Great Uncle Gene. Words can not say how much you are already missed by the family. Longing for that “one more moment in time” to be with you. To hear your laugh. To see your infectious smile you were and are such a wonderful man and touched so many lives in so many different ways even if it was for just a moment. The Heavenly family is in great spirits with all of the singing, dancing , laughing and telling stories. Looking down on us keeping us safe and spreading love We miss you and all of our Heavenly family so much. Please give all of them hugs and kisses for us Until we meet again Love your Great Niece Denise ❤️
Great Uncle Gene, I always looked forward to visiting you during our trips to Florida. Talking to you, and hearing your stories at the Criswell Reunions was good fun. You always had a funny joke to tell and a mischievous glint in your eye. You will be greatly missed.
Words cannot express the sorrow that lays on the hearts of so many right now. I for one could never, if given the chance to do so, could have ever have hoped for or chosen a better person to be called uncle. Your love for family and the ability to be able to openly express that love was incredible. Making everyone of us, as children, laugh and have a good time was always at the forefront with you. I’ll never forget a single moment that I spent with you. They are, each and everyone, such very precious memories. I’ve passed on to my children, and to my grands as well one of those memories and the song that went along with it, and it made them smile, laugh & giggle no matter how upset they might have been or why, just like I remember it doing for me as I sat beside you or stood in front of you with such joy . I can hear your voice today as good as I did then. (((((( You get a line honey, you get a line babe. You get a line and I’ll get a pole we’ll go fishing in the crawdad hole honey…., baby mine. )))))) You have, and always will, hold a very, very special place in my heart. I can’t really say that I’ve ever had favorites when it came to people in my life, but you were the exception. You were like having another father figure, when mine was off on the road working. A blessing. Thank you for the part of you that is me. Until we see each other again, I love you with all my heart Uncle Gene, always and forever.
I know I am late in posting my condolences, but was trying to come up with the right words to honor a great man. Uncle Gene, wow what can I say or how can I sum it all up into just a short paragraph, well I can’t because you see it would take me some time because of all the great things you have done. So I’ll just tell you a couple of memories I have. First off when I was growing up on 13th street every Easter this farm would sell colored bitty. So Uncle Gene bought me two, well they grew up. So one day I went out to play and lord an behold one started chasing me, Uncle Gene came running to my rescue and well, I want tell you what we had for supper that night. Then we had a lot of pecan trees on the side of grandmothers house and Uncle Gene use to take a long fishing pole and knock them down and I would gather them up, wow such fond memories of the good old days. Oh how I wish I could re-live those days. These are just a couple of stories but there is so many more I have to tell. Uncle Gene I will miss you so much but all my memories with you will live on. I would like to say one more thing. Uncle Gene THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE. Now you can rest with your family and friends . As God would say I now give you rest my good and faithful servant. Until we meet again hugs and kisses always.????????????
To A very loving and fun uncle! As kids, at grandmothers house you would play with all of us outside .. laughing and joking around .. You showed me how at the dinner table to mix peanut butter and syrup together and eat it on a biscuit !! Yummy. 🙂
You were a hard working man , that always there to lend a hand .. Thank you for serving in the Army and giving of yourself once again .. You were a blessing to the family !❤️ We all will miss you , but never forgotten.. ❤️
To Linda and the Criswell family. So sorry for the loss of your uncle. Glad I got to meet him. I’m sure he was a great Uncle, Father and Brother. I know he is and will be missed by many.
Dear uncle Jane you are the best uncle ever I will miss you so dearly when I was little I would always pretend you were my boyfriend and be so jealous of anybody that gave you interest LOL. Wow if all the men could be like you have a radiant of sunshine on your face always. Don’t believe I have ever seen you angry always happy and always made me happy there was an exception one time when I ran from my other grandmas house cross 13th St. I was 11 and ran to grandma Criswell‘s house because my cousin made me ride his bike and it had no brakes and it had been raining and I fell in the ditch had mud all over my face and said I’m going to my uncle Gene‘s house and tell on you so when I got there he comfort me and wash my face up and told me it was best that I go back since I was spending the weekend with them boy I didn’t want to leave you. If I had a down in the dumps day when I came around you you always perk me upThere will never be another soul like you you are the best love you with all my heart I will miss you until we meet again. Linda Tileston
My dearest Uncle Gene, there’s so much to tell about you I would take a year write down everything I would love to say about you but you are the best you were always there for everyone he brought everybody’s spirits up couldn’t always wait to go visit him knew I had some laughs coming and couldn’t wait. One day when I was staying the weekend with my other grandma Dees who lives straight down the street across University Avenue I was 11 years old and was staying there for the weekend and my cousin made me ride his bike and he knew it had no brakes and it had been raining and I’m trying to stop and go right into the ditch crying all muddy cousin Larry laughed I said I’m going to uncle Gene and tell him on you so I did lucky uncle Jim was there he was in the middle of shaving he stop clean me up and said you best go back boy I hated to go back I wanted to stay with him he always made you feel better, wish all the men could have been like you never have seen you down or angry always in a happy mood and made everyone in a happy mood even if they were having a down day I’m going to miss you so much at least you’ve got to live 91 years I got to see so much so that was a big blessing mom always loved you calling her every night sometimes I would be laying on the sofa trying to listen to yawls conversation LOL and act like I was asleep just to see what y’all talked about she loved you so much too. Till we meet again uncle Gene love you with all my heart. Linda Tileston
Uncle Gene you made the World a better place with your love, kindness, caring and humor. You always had time for me and all the cousins. I always loved when you played your guitar for me and sang. I always tried to sit by you on the piano bench at family dinners at grandmothers. I loved watching you make all kinds of food combinations and then eat them. You will always be remembered with love and always be in my heart.