Gene Mandrell was born to Glen and Mary Mandrell on January 7, 1944 in Clinton, Oklahoma. He is preceded in death by his mother, Mary Mandrell and father, Glen Mandrell. He is survived by two sisters, Linda Steward of Casa Grande, Arizona (or Almont, Colorado, depending on time of the year), Marilyn Barnard of Checotah, Oklahoma, one brother, Roger Mandrell of Oklahoma City, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.
Gene Mandrell graduated Valedictorian from Crooked Oak High School. While in High School, he worked at the Downtown Oklahoma City Library. Every day he would save his lunch money to pay the bus fare from school to downtown to go to work. After a while he began trying to think of a way to save money on bus fare every day to get to work and thought “How nice it would be to have a library close to home in Del City so he could walk to work instead of taking the bus”. He began talking to people at the library who directed him to Oklahoma Department of Libraries. To make a long story short, Gene managed to climb the ladder of bureaucracy and convinced the right people that Del City indeed needed a public library. After all, Midwest City had one!
Gene’s efforts led to a 1 1/2 cent sales tax in Del City which raised the funds needed to open the Del City Library. Finally in 1961, the Del City Library was opened in a two bedroom house, owned by the City of Del City, located just west of SE 15th and Sunnylane. Gene Mandrell, a mere high school kid served, not only, as founder but also as the very first library director. 4000 books and magazines were donated by the Midwest City branch library, PTA organizations, as well as various businesses and residents in the community.
In 1966, a new library designed by Gene was built just a short distance east of Sunnylane on SE 15th where it has been for the last 54 years.
Earlier this year, he proudly attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the brand new Del City Library that is, again, being built near the corner of SE 15th and Sunnylane. Gene was recognized during this event in the Ground Breaking Proclamation given by Mayor Eason.
After a few years, Gene was drafted into the US Army and stationed at Ft Bliss, Texas where he served as part of the Inspector General’s Office. That role later took him to Germany during the Vietnam War.
After completing his time in the Army, Gene went on to graduate from the University of Oklahoma with a Master’s degree. He then began his long civil service career with the Department of the Air Force, at Tinker Air Force Base Air Logistics Command, later to Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio and eventually to the Pentagon and then back to Wright-Patterson AFB for the remainder of his career.
During his time in Dayton, Ohio, Gene became active in various civic, charitable and community organizations. He was also a member of the Huber Heights Planning Committee.
Gene did some traveling abroad after retiring before finally returning home to Oklahoma City where he spent the remainder of his years close to family.
At the end of the day, Gene was a public servant who loved God, his family, his friends and his community. This was Gene’s way of serving God.
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