Gene was born in Memphis, TN and raised mostly in Jackson, MS. He was active in the
church and was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout. He hunted and fished and pursued
marksmanship throughout life, owning his first gun at age 12. He started playing the trumpet
at age 10 and played in school bands through high school. In high school, he worked in his
dad’s plant in the summer and chased girls year-round!
Dropping out of college at Ole Miss in his sophomore year, Gene joined the Army during
Korea. The war was over by the time he finished OCS and became a Finance Corps officer.
Night school at Tulane and a year off at LSU, he completed a BS in Accounting. Years later,
the Army sent him for two years at the Wharton School for an MBA.
Not long after joining the Army, assigned in France, Gene met and married the love of his life,
Marianna (Mike). They had a very happy marriage that lasted almost 65 years until Mike’s
death. There are three wonderful daughters, Cynthia, Carol, and Nancy (and a favorite son in-law, Steve!) They have produced 7 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.
Gene retired from the Army in 1973 with exactly 20 years of service and was only 39 years
old. The two most notable assignments were Chief Financial Officer at Ft. Polk, LA, during
the Vietnam buildup and, during his last four years, Planning Officer in the Office of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.
In 1973, Gene joined the international CPA firm of Coopers & Lybrand in Philadelphia. In
1974, he was admitted to the partnership for an initial assignment in the Office of the
Chairman. Later, he went on to manage consulting operations in Philadelphia, Columbus, and
the Midwest Region headquartered in Chicago, from which he retired.
Mike and Gene spent the next twenty years living and playing from Wintergreen Resort, VA,
atop the Blue Ridge Mountains. Having belonged to 7 country clubs, they continued to be
avid golfers. Gene eventually played 42 of the nation’s top 100 golf courses! For a while,
they were into off-roading with a Jeep Wrangler. Gene was President of the Shenandoah
Valley British Car Club with his 1974 Jaguar E-Type roadster. They maintained a boat on the
St. Johns River in Florida and another on the Chesapeake Bay. They spent Feb and Mar in
Hilton Head Island. Wow! What a life!
They spent their last years in a senior living community, Westminster Canterbury, in
Charlottesville, VA. If you have to grow old, this is a good place to do it! They feed you and
keep you entertained while promising to take care of you when you are no longer able to.
Please send any donations to:
Shrine Mont
PO Box 10, Orkney Springs, VA 22845
Gene and his family vacationed here every summer for going on 50 years!
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