Eugene Lee Wagstaff

1924 - 2015

1924 ~ 2015
Eugene Lee Wagstaff died February 23, 2015 of lung cancer. A Salt Lake City native, born January 21, 1924, Gene graduated from Granite High School, in 1941. He married his sweetheart, Betty, in 1942. Shortly after their marriage, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and served as an electrician aboard a destroyer escort ship, the USS Underhill DE-682, during World War II. While escorting a convoy of other ships from Okinawa to the Philippines, a Japanese one man suicide submarine (kaiten), blew the Underhill in half. The forward half of the ship sank immediately, but the rear of the ship, where Gene was stationed, stayed afloat, and he was rescued. Gene never forgot the 112 shipmates who lost their lives that day, and thanked God he was one of the lucky ones who survived and lived to an old age. He received a purple heart award, for the injuries he endured. At the end of the war, he returned to Salt Lake City, where he resided continually until his death. He and Betty were married for 72 years.
After World War II, Gene worked as a technician in the heating and air conditioning trade for 43 years, retiring from CCI (formerly Climate Control Inc.) in 1989. His favorite hobbies were working on cars and camping.
Although not affiliated with any particular religion, Gene considered himself to be a Christian. He often told a story of how he prayed, while his ship was exploding. God told him not to worry, he would be saved and live another fifty years. God gave him a bonus of 23 years.
Gene is survived by his wife, Betty Wagstaff; son, Lawrence "Larry" Wagstaff; grandsons, James (Yvonne), Kenneth (Melody), and Daniel (Becky) Wagstaff; great grandchildren, Alyssa, Brooks, Noah, Harmony, Anderson, Harrison, and Emerson Wagstaff, and nieces, Judi Caplan, Brenda Whitesides, Shauna South, Sharen Ottley, Karen Wagstaff, and nephews, Vaughn Hunter; Bruce, Brent, and Billy Wagstaff.
He was preceded in death by his father, Norman Wagstaff, mother, Alice Etherington Wagstaff , sister, Norma Wagstaff Hunter, and brother, Paul L. Wagstaff.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 28, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. at Neil O'Donnell and Sons Mortuary, 372 East 100 South, where friends may call Friday, February 27, 2015 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. and one our prior to services on Saturday. Interment, Mt. Olivet Cemetery,1342 East 500 South.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the American Cancer Society, 781 East 2100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84106.
The family would like to give special thanks to the medical staff of the Salt Lake V.A.M.C., as well as the hospice personnel of CNS for the wonderful care they provided.