Eugene Ray Queen

Eugene R Queen “Gene” passed away peacefully Saturday, January 23, 2021 at Providence Portland Hospital with his wife at his side. Gene was born February 21, 1942 in Wichita, Kansas to Ray Kenneth Queen and Lois LaVera Weber.

Gene spent his youth on farms in Kansas. The family moved to Yakima, Washington in his early teens, settling in Lower Naches, Washington where Gene finished grade school and graduated from Naches Valley High School in 1960. He attended Portland State University.

For many years he worked at Howatt Archery in Lower Naches, Washington. He made the arrows for Howatt while attending high school, and after high school he worked at Howatt's building bows. Gene was active in archery from his teens to his death: target archery, archery golf (his favorite) and hunting. A month-long archery tournament trip was planned for 2020, ending with Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, UT, but was cancelled because of Covid; other vacations were also cancelled.

In 1973 he started E.R. Queen Co. (name later changed to Queen Pump Co.) which grew from his basement to two offices, one in Portland, OR and one in Kent, WA, with 40+ employees. In 1997 Queen Pump Co. was sold to Familian Northwest.

Gene spent many years gold mining on weekends in the Baker, Oregon area. As a family, many vacations were spent boating, water skiing and camping. Gene and Vickie enjoyed travelling and went to all seven continents and all 50 states.

Gene is survived by wife of 59 years, Vickie Eileen Fisher Queen, son Stephen Queen, daughter Kristin (Dana) Gray, four grandchildren: Melissa Ferguson, Jason Conradt, Chelsea Queen and Ryan Queen, brother Lee Queen (Margaret) and one niece, Michelle (Chris) Taylor; and two nephews.

Interment at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Gresham on July 9th 2021 followed by celebration of life gathering at the Queen Home in Damascus, Oregon.