Eugene Joseph Kerkhof, 95, of Peoria, AZ, returned to the Lord on August, 3, 2020, in Sun City, AZ. He was born May 17, 1925, in Calumet County, WI, a small rural community of Hollandtown to William and Kathryn Kerkhof. He attended St. Francis School in Hollandtown for 10 years, then finished high school in Kaukauna, WI and graduated in 1943. He began working for the Northwestern Railroad as an extra board telegrapher. In 1946 he became station agent in Princeton, WI. While there, he met his wife Louise, a teacher at the local high school. They were married in Madison, WI, August 20, 1949. In 1952, Gene took a position with the Northwestern Railroad in the travel division office as a rate clerk and advanced to traveling sales agent. In 1960, he left the railroad and worked in real estate sales for two years. In 1964, he joined the Gordon Flesch Company in Madison, WI and began a career in selling copy machines. He became vice-president of the duplication products division and retired after 25 years. In 1987, he and Lou took up residence in Sun City West, AZ. He enjoyed many years of golfing, tennis, volunteering, and was active in Lady of Lourdes parish. In 2005 they moved into Sierra Winds Retirement Community in Peoria, AZ. Gene and his wife, Lou, enjoyed 70 years of marriage and were blessed with five children.
His surviving sisters include Sr. Mary Hugh Kerkhof and Katherine Kerkhof. Gene is survived by his wife Lou and his five children: Sons, Stephen (Susan), Mitchell (Hitoko), and John (Corinne) ; daughters, Christine Viner and Laura (Daniel) Reiter. He is also survived by 13 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.
Preceding him in death are brothers Francis (Dolores) Kerkhof, Wilfred Kerkhof, and Jerome (Joan) Kerkhof; sisters Dorothy (Quintin) Gloudemans and Eileen (Boniface) Pendergast; and son-in-law Paul Viner.
His funeral mass will be celebrated Friday, August 21, 2020 at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, Sun City, AZ, with burial at Roselawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Monona, WI.
The family has requested donations in lieu of flowers be made to Hospice of Valley, 1510 East Flower St., Phoenix, AZ (www.hov.org).
Please feel free to leave your memories for the family via this website.
