Dr. Eugene Starkey

Dr. Eugene Starkey Dr. Eugene Edward "Gene" Starkey, 88, was born in July, 1926, in Yakima, Washington, and died in November, 2014, in San Luis Obispo, California. In between he enjoyed an amazing life filled with hard work, family and friends, church, travel, and a "few" rounds of golf. He grew up on a dairy and poultry farm, nearly lost a hand in a lawnmower as a child, lost his mother when he was 12, was his high school senior class president and student body president, and was the California State FFA President and National FFA Vice President, which led to a meeting with President Harry Truman in the White House. Then it was off to clean up after World War II where he was an Army Finance Specialist stationed in the Free Territory of Trieste, Italy. After his three-year tour, he was discharged as a Sergeant 1st Class, went to Cal Poly on the G.I. Bill, graduated in 1952, then earned a Master Degree and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Between studies during a trip to Los Angeles, he met his wife of 60 years, Jean Starkey, and they married in 1954 in her hometown of Waukegan, Illinois, and soon started a family. After graduation, he worked as a professor at Utah State University, then the University of Wisconsin- Madison, and then Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he was the Head of the Dairy Science Department. He was active in various professional organizations connected to the dairy industry and he was very involved in the churches he was a member of over the years. He is survived by his wife, Jean; and children Linda Furnari, Glen Starkey, and Karen Vanhorenbeeck, and their families; and sister, Lois Clark and brother, Frank Starkey and their families. A Memorial Service is scheduled for 11:00am on Saturday, Nov. 22 in the First Presbyterian Church, 981 Marsh Street, San Luis Obispo. Sign his guestbook at sanluisobispo.com/obituaries