Eugene L. Wehage

December 13, 1931 Eugene Louis Wehage was born at home in the house his father Albert had built on Loxahatchee River Road in Jupiter. His mother Grace was attended by a midwife named Ella Ford who was usually present at most of the births in Jupiter, a town of 250 people at that time. As a boy, Gene had enviable access to an outside world that would be the dream of most American children today. He spent countless hours with his siblings, Doris, Jerome, Albert, Vince, and Eileen, exploring the woods around Limestone Creek where they would fish, play and sometimes just while the hours away in the quiet solitude of the time and place. It was a much simpler time than we have today. Gene entered Jupiter School in 1937 for a period of eight years until his parents decided to send him to St. Ann’s Parochial School for his high school education. However, while he was in Jupiter School, he enjoyed the game of tennis and excelled at it but was unable to continue playing tennis in St. Ann’s because of the distance he had to travel to school. He completed high school in 1949. After a period of time, he joined the U.S. Navy in 1951 as an Aviation Machinist. Much of his duty took place in Jacksonville at Mayport Naval Station. The lure of being with his family and his beloved Jupiter proved strong. He would often hitch hike back home all of the way from Jacksonville on the weekends; times were different then. He never missed a Christmas at home while in the Navy. Gene was also able to enjoy the opportunity of deploying on an aircraft carrier, the Coral Sea, which toured the Mediterranean Sea. He went ashore at ports in North Africa and Europe, and was particularly grateful that visiting The Vatican was on their itinerary. After his years in the Navy, he returned to Jupiter in 1955 to enjoy his boyhood home again. However, he had to find a direction in his life, so he and his brother, Vincent, moved to Chicago to attend the Coyne Electrical School for six months. Prior to this, he had unknowingly met his future wife, Judy. After six months, he returned to Jupiter and started to work for RCA. He and his brother performed a variety of jobs in the construction business gathering knowledge along the way. In 1959, he and Judy Knight were married in St. Christopher’s Catholic Church in Hobe Sound there being no Catholic Church in Jupiter as yet. For years, his family had been the only Catholics in Jupiter. When Judy and Gene were married, Jupiter had started to grow, as did their family. Gene earned a real estate license; practicing that profession while also working in construction. By 1966, their family had grown to four children, two boys and two girls, Karen, Tim, Scott, and Annette. His experience in construction had also expanded to building seawalls and docks thus - starting his own business, Dolphin Marine Construction. He began building his business out of his home. As his sterling reputation grew he purchased an office building in downtown Jupiter and as the business developed he finally turned it over to his sons, Tim and Scott, and retired. In their retirement, Judy and Gene spent their time together enjoying the natural beauty and quietude among the settings of Lake Marion in Kenansville, Florida and Maggie Valley, North Carolina while touching base regularly with their children in their beloved Jupiter. Gene and Judy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on October 10, 2009. They have enjoyed many wonderful and engaging years with their family of four children and eight grandchildren.