Eugene Corwin Michel

Eugene Corwin Michel passed away comfortably on April 20th in his Coeur D Alene, ID home with family by his side. Gene was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota June 22, 1928 to Julius and Inez Michel and graduated from Washington High School in 1947.

Gene loved sports his entire life, being active in a wide range from table tennis, pool, basketball, baseball and golf. He won a basketball scholarship from the College of Idaho, but after completing one semester, he decided that he was more interested in serving his country in the United States Army.

After enlisting in the Army in 1947, he reported for basic training at Fort Ord California and later completed his advanced training to become an X-ray technician at brooks Army Medical center in San Antonio TX.

His first assignment was with the 7822nd Implement Unit in Munich, Germany where his job was to type passes for personnel to enter the Soviet zone. Like many in the military, Gene’s daily duties were different than what he expected based on his training, but during his off-time, he continued to be interested in sports and played basketball with his unit. When his athletic abilities began to overshadow his daily administrative duties, he was reassigned as the Athletic Noncommissioned Officer and was put in charge of the fitness program and athletics for the entire battalion. His military occupational skill was also changed to Physical Activities Specialist and thus began his military athletic career where he went on to play both baseball and basketball.

One interesting tidbit about support specialties such as athletics, band and choral units for example, during times of conflict those job skills often serve duty in POW camps or correctional facilities to this day. His last duty assignment was the US disciplinary barracks at Fort Leavenworth, KS where he served as the armorer.

While still in Germany he compiled some amazing statistics from his baseball career. As a pitcher he recorded an 18/1 pitching record and batted an impressive 650. He also had a shut out during the European World Series. In the Army Basketball European league, he scored 47 points in a single game and held that record for many, many years - that's decades before the introduction of the three pointers we know in basketball today.

Professional baseball scouts who were looking for talented athletes attended the military European World Series and recognized Gene’s raw talent, and in 1950 signed him to the New York Yankees Single A farm team in 1950. After leaving the army in 1952 he reported to camp in Boise, ID. Single A teams are the first level leading to a professional career designed to teach young players more structured ball often experienced in the NCAA.

Unfortunately, his career was cut short when he experienced a career-ending injury to his pitching shoulder. Today such an injury with athletes is very common and easily repaired. One can only imagine how differently things could have turned out had the injury happened in present day.

Even though Gene did not have the professional baseball carrier he dreamed of, he went on to have an amazing life. In 1952 Gene landed in Spokane WA and worked for McKesson and Robbins pharmaceutical company for a solid 10 years.

Gene later went on to work at Darigold Farms for an amazing 28 years, starting out driving truck on delivery routes, then tanker trucks collecting milk and finally in the plant making cottage cheese and ice cream.

Gene and his first wife Shirley Nelson met in Spokane, where she was a student at a Business School in town. Gene’s coworker and friend invited him to an open house dance at the college where they hit it off and it led to marriage. Shirley and Gene had three wonderful kids, Jeff, Pam and Glenda. Though their marriage did not last, their love and respect for each other always did, as well as the love for their children.

Gene later met Anne Ferguson while he was working part time as a gas station attendant at a Shell Station near Deaconess Hospital in Spokane. She was a nurse there, and would often stop by to gas up and she caught his eye. They later married and Gene accepted her whole package which included four kids, as well as having their daughter, Karen. They would have celebrated 50 years of marriage together.

Gene continued to participate in a number of sports and was an avid golfer. He inherited this talent from his father, Julius, who was a professional golfer. He is also one of the few players that has achieved a hole in one and he was always rated as a scratch golfer. He was also a serious bowler as well as an amazing pool player winning many tournaments just for fun at the nearby Taverns. He also played in numerous fast pitch softball leagues.

Gene was a man with an amazing heart and loved his dogs Bonnie, Charlie Jonesy and Joey. At first, he hated cats but since his wife Anne loved them so much, he learned to adapt and they made him love them by constantly climbing up on his lap.

For a man born in the 1920s Gene continued to learn and keep an open mind and kept up with current events. He remained passionate about his country, its politics and where we were headed as a nation.

Even in his final days, Eugene continued to keep his mind active and just loved his television - especially game shows, sports, westerns and factual news programs.

Eugene was preceded in death by his father Julius E. Michel, mother Inez Michel (Ziegler) wife, Anne M. Michel, first wife Shirley J. Michel, sister Linda Jones, stepson James A. Ferguson and nephew Roger Michel.

He is survived by his bother James E. Michel, his wife Cecilia Michel and nephew Jerry Michel.

Gene had a large and loving family and is also survived by children from his first marriage Jeff Michel (Debi), Pam Parson (Dale), and Glenda Quaglietta (Paul).

Gene is also survived by his daughter from his second marriage, Karen Crockett (Brian) and stepchildren Thomas Ferguson, Kevin Ferguson and Joanne Ferguson (Jeri).

Gene is also survived by eleven grandchildren: Derek Michel (Julie), Jennilyn Flexer (Bryce), Chelsea Tracey (Jason), Cameron Parson, Courtney Torkelson (Joel), Caitlin Quiroz (Marcos), Hannah Pollack (Dillon), Adam Crockett (Susan), Ben Ferguson (Desi), Chad Ferguson and Katie Ferguson, as well as three great-grandchildren, Ayden Crockett, Alexia Ferguson and Remy Flexer.