EUGENE ARTHUR "GENE" ROHNER

1924 - 2011

Eugene "Gene" Arthur Rohner, 86, died Friday morning at Garden Courte Alzheimer's Facility, Olympia, Washington. He had been a resident at the home for about six years.

Gene was born in rural Minnesota Lake, Minnesota, May 3, 1924 to Edward and Hattie Rohner, and grew up with siblings, Kathleen, and three brothers, Myrle, Robert and Dean, on the family farm.

After high school Gene headed to Seattle to work as a Draftsman supporting the WWII effort, and subsequently volunteered for military service in the Marines.

He soon met Eileen "Reggy" Livingston in Seattle and they married while he was at Camp Pendleton, in Oceanside, California. He served his country with honor and distinction as a 5th Division Marine while seeing action in the South Pacific, notably Iwo Jima.
After the war he left the Marines but re-entered military service becoming a Corps of Engineering-Army Officer, retiring twenty years later at the rank of Major.

He and his family traveled extensively during those twenty years while serving in Okinawa, Virginia, England, Germany, Missouri, South Korea, Vietnam, retiring while at Ft. Lewis, Washington.

Gene's second career served his adopted Washington State as a Regional Director of State Parks, retiring after 17 years of service. His love of nature, which included fishing and hunting and RVing fit well with his work at Washington State Parks. For Gene it was a labor of love. He always enjoyed traveling, each autumn heading out with Reggy in their RV to explore a new part of the county, after the summer park visitors had departed for the year.

Gene's survivors include his wife Reggy, brother Dean, four children; John (wife Lynn) of Federal Way, Allen of Everett, Mrs. Bonny Burgin (husband Terry) of Olympia, Ms Marie Hurst and son-in-law Curtis Hurst of Bothell, grandchildren; Mrs. Condee Wood (husband Keegan), Sage Holbrook (wife Natalie), Ryan Hurst, Ms Julie Rohner, Andrew Hurst and Ms Randi Barrett. He also leaves four great-grand-children, Cole, Jakob, Alexia, and Caden.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Kathleen Newman, brothers Myrle, and Robert, and beloved daughter Mrs. Cheryl Barrett.

Funeral services and VA Honor Guard ceremony will be held February 19, 2011 at 10:00 am, at Floral Hills Funeral Home and Cemetery, 409 Filbert Road, Lynnwood, Washington, 98036.