Gene Paschall

On July 28th Gene Paschall of Yorktown Va., our "MacGyver" accepted the opportunity to continue his journey with no more obstacles, but with his loving Mom and Pop Sudie and Robert Paschall; Uncles, Aunts & Friends who proceeded & carved his path to heaven.

Here to miss Gene & carry on his life lessons are his best friend & loving wife of 30 years, Patricia (Pattie) Paschall; his children Steve Paschall of Eugene Oregon, and Cathy Williamson (husband Jeff); Dawn Holihan with whom Gene is devotedly known as Dad; grandchildren Zachary & Courtney Jean Williamson (Cathy & Jeff) & Bobby Holihan IV (Dawn), all of Yorktown; his brother (& also best friend) RV Paschall (Debbie); nieces Debi & Kay Kay (families); Pattie's family including her Mom Betty Price, siblings Nanette Stickles, Theresa Fuller, Mike Price (families); his first wife and lifelong friend Nora (Turlington) Paschall (Wayne); The Turlington family whom remained Gene's family since he married Nora.

Gene was born to Sudie & Robert Paschall in NC on May 31, 1940. He grew up in Newport News. As a boy he became involved in The Boys Club and worked there as a young man. He graduated from NNHS in 1959 & married Nora shortly after. Although he was a young man, he worked hard & was seriously devoted to building a strong foundation for his family. He took jobs for Commercial Printer, & Sturgis Newport until he started and retired from a 25 year career at Anheuser Busch. He remained an advocate of The Boys Club (BCOA) his entire life; was an active member of The Moose Lodge 1711; and took interest in a variety of charity programs but especially St. Jude's.

Gene would say that he wasn't creative but he was and this was demonstrated whenever he put his mind and hands to work from "turning cars over" to designing and building beautiful homes. He was a patient worker and If something was broken he didn't fuss about that broken thing, he just went to fixin' it making him the handyman of every gals dreams and the "go to" for advice on repairs for just about anything.

Gene's main love was his family but taking a close second was his immaculate garage, complete with pictures hanging. But the cherry on top was his workbench & man toys, hanging about and enticing him daily as there was "tinkering" to do. His day started when the door was pulled up, inviting macho passerby's to slow down for a peek and sometimes "giving in" to the temptation of pulling in to say hello. Here, Gene would pull himself away from his work, offer a cold drink & grab a couple of chairs.

Gene loved summertime; fast cars; a country song that told a good story; watching people dance; & his country. He believed in being a man of his word; living beneath his means, yet generous all the while. He took joy in leaving a $20 tip for a $10 burger. He was a man of balance...a teacher and a listener; a "good ol' boy" and a ladies best friend; no-nonsense yet easy to laugh; old school but respectful for inevitable change. He was not the "life of the party" but the kind soul, that gave the party "life", as if..."Gene is here. Now everything is gonna be okay".

Everyone knew that Gene battled the feats that came with his chronic disease (CML), but he certainly never said so. Instead he owned it. He owned it like "A Boss". He was a smart and generous player volunteering to be an active participant in the Gleevec trial at MD Anderson in 2001, journaling and reporting to assist with ongoing studies. He turned his travels to & from Houston into road trips while fulfilling his thrill of nothin' but a Chevy between him & the open highway. It turned out that Gleevec rewarded Gene and his family a remission for nearly 16 years and has remained an active treatment for CML patients to date. In the meantime he didn't spend much time talking about it, but more about his appreciation for family & especially his wife, who in turn became his loving caregiver. Of Pattie, he liked to say "That's One Good Woman!"

Gene and his family would like to thank Dr. Watson and Dr. Kruger at VOA; Personal Touch Hospice; RN's Dawn and Elaine. They would also like to acknowledge the late Dr. Mark Ellis with whom he began his CML journey. Dr. Ellis worked closely with Gene and MD Anderson all while he shared his own stories and gave Gene a hometown vibe, which was a perfect fit for his lifestyle.

Gene appreciated & put into motion the teachings that were instilled in him by his father which he in turn, and with a "little twist" blessed his family the same. Recently, he shared that he was given the gift of "seeing his entire life", that he liked what he saw, it showed him he had lived a "good" life...had been a good man...and although he had been told the same...Man, if he only knew! Our lives won't be the same, but are certainly enriched because of his love. We miss him already!

A memorial service will be held on Friday August 2nd, 2019 at 4:00pm at Peninsula Funeral Home Newport News. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in memory of Gene Paschall to the Leukemia Society.