Who’s Who? Robert J. Eustice
Among our namesakes who trace their
roots to Cornwall is one of the Eustace Families Association’s most loyal
members, Dr. Robert J. Eustice of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. We are pleased to
share his story with you.
Robert James Eustice was born March 25, 1925 at Birmingham, Alabama. He was the
only child born to Robert Richard Eustice, born July 7, 1899 at Galena, Illinois
and his wife Ethel Mary Blades.
Robert Eustice Sr. served in the
US Army Air Corps as a Lieutenant Colonel during World War II. Prior to that
and after WW I during the 1920s, he did maintenance and ground work on airplanes
owned by a firm involved in “barnstorming” based out of Wisconsin Dells,
Wisconsin.
Dr. Eustice grew up in Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama and attended
Edgewood Elementary School in Homewood. He graduated from Phillips High School
in Birmingham in 1943 and immediately entered the U.S. Navy’s V-12 Program.
After completion of the V-12 Program, he entered midshipman school at Ft.
Schuyler, NY., from which he graduated as an Ensign USN.
After several additional training
programs for overseas assignments, ensign Eustice was sent to the Phillipines
and was stationed at the Naval Air Base in Samar, Philippine Islands. After the
war ended, he was awarded the Philippine’s Liberation Medal.
Following World War II, Robert
enrolled at the University of the South, Sewanee where he received his B.S.
degree. Then he was accepted as a member of the first class of the University
Medical/Dental Center, University of Alabama, Birmingham. Following graduation
in 1952, with a Doctor of Medical Dentistry (DMD) Degree and the Korean War in
progress, he went back into the US Navy and served one year internship at the US
Naval Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was here that Dr. Eustice
developed expertise in mouth reconstructive dentistry.
Later he spent about three years at the National Naval Medical Center in
Bethesda, Maryland. While at Bethesda, he also served as a part time instructor
at Georgetown Dental College. Dr. Eustice served a total of 13 years in the US
Navy (Active or Reserve).
Dr. Eustice began private dental
practice in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1955 and has spent more than 40 years in the
profession. His specialty is general and cosmetic full-mouth reconstruction. He
is listed in the Royal Blue Book of Leaders of the English Speaking World and
has been listed in Who’s Who on several occasions. He is a member of the
American Dental Association, the Mississippi Dental Association, former member
of the Royal Health Society (London, England), and is past President of the
Fifth District Mississippi Dental Society.
He married Marie Louise Burg,
daughter of Jules Louis Burg and Caroline Carwile Mims, on March 1, 1950 in a
ceremony performed by the pastor of Southside Baptist Church in Birmingham,
Alabama.
Robert and Marie Eustice are the
parents of four children; David Robert Eustice, born December 24, 1950; Caroline
Mims Eustice, born June 17, 1953; Elizabeth Carwile Eustice, born May 1, 1955
and James Jules Eustice, born June 20, 1957.
Their oldest son David Eustice is a
senior consultant for IBM. He has two children; Christopher and Caroline.
Caroline Eustice Wicks is a dental hygienist. Her husband, Thomas Wicks is a
retired US Navy Lieutenant Commander now working in the Trust Department of
People’s Bank in Biloxi. Elizabeth Eustice Wakham is a dentist and James Jules
Eustice, also a dentist has taken over his father’s practice. Elizabeth’s
husband, Dr. Dean Wakham is an orthodontist and Caroline’s son Robert Wicks, in
his third year of pre-medicine at the University of Mississippi, will soon leave
on a tour of China to study herbal medicine.
Robert and Marie Eustice are involved
in many church, cultural and civic activities. Robert has served as President of
the Community Concert Association of Biloxi and is a director of the Gulf Coast
Community Concert Association. He has served as chairman of the Deacons of the
First Baptist Church of Biloxi and is a former director of the Affiliated
Baptist Hospitals of America. He is a former director of the Metropolitan Bank
and has served on the Board of Directors of William Carey College. He is also a
past-president of the Biloxi Lions Club. Robert is a member of Military Order of
the World Wars (MOWW), an organization founded in 1920 with encouragement from
General John J. Pershing.
The Eustace Families Association is
honored that Dr. Robert Eustice has been a member of our association for more
than 20 years. Thank you Dr. Eustice for allowing us to share your story with
fellow namesakes.