Eugene John Mages

Gene lived his life as a very unselfish person and always gave of his time and resources, whether to the church, his family or someone in need. He was born in Ottawa, Kansas on October 20th, 1931. He served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956 as an Engineer Equipment Repairman and was stationed in Germany. After his return, he met Lori Lea Philips, also from Ottawa and they were married in 1958. In November of 1963 they moved to Montclair, California to live closer to Lori’s mom and dad. Gene worked as an automotive mechanic for the Metropolitan Water District while Lori worked as a social worker for the County of Los Angeles. They later moved to Chino, California where they bought their first home and raised their two boys, Randy and Cris. After working as a supervisor with the MWD, Gene retired in October of 1994, and he and Lori moved to Apple Valley, California in April of 1995. They spent their time traveling, camping, and enjoying family. Lori passed in 2003 and Gene remained in Apple Valley. Due to health reasons, he moved to Temecula in October 2022 to be closer to his sons and their wives. He lived the remainder of his life in Temecula.

He is survived by his two sons, five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and sister.

A funeral mass will be held at Our Lady of the Desert Catholic Church in Apple Valley on Tuesday, September 19th at 11:00am, with Rosary service prior to mass at 10:30. Graveside service to follow.

Family and friends are encouraged to post their condolences and memories on Gene's Tribute Wall at www.dignitymemorial.com