EUGENE VINCENT MOUNT

EUGENE VINCENT MOUNT, SR., 90, died Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019, at his home in Fort Wayne in the care of his family and visiting angels. He spent his life serving God, Country and family. He was born May 27, 1920, in Chicago, Ill., and was the second son of Frank and Anna (Magner) Mount. He obtained his amateur radio license W9AJD which remained active his entire life. Gene married Joan Lahey in 1952, and they were blessed with eleven children and 60 years together before her death in 2012. He and Joan were active members of St. Henry Catholic Church since its founding. Between 1975 and 1987, they served as sponsors and mentors to many members of the local Asian community when they arrived in Fort Wayne as refugees. In 1951, he was awarded a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering at the University of Illinois and immediately began to serve his country for the Department of Defense at White Sands, N.M. and Cape Canaveral, FLa. Some of the missiles he worked on are listed as being foundational to the U.S. space program at the Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex. As the family grew, he left public service and worked closer to home in Fort Wayne, first at Farnsworth Electronics and then ITT. He returned to the public sector when he accepted a position with the Defense Contract Administration System also here in Fort Wayne. After formally retiring, he served as an instructor at ITT Tech where he inspired many students and continued to expand his ham radio operation. "Gene will be greatly missed". Surviving are his older brother, Frank (June); his ten surviving children, Gene Jr., Mike (Sharla), Kathleen Clem, Alice (Terry) Koczor, Mary (Randy) Sroufe, Robert (Marilyn), Jerry (Cami), Patrick, Maureen (Louis) Mespell, Jim, his heart children, Tony Tam and Tin (Cindy) Truong; 25 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; daughter, Margaret; his brother, Jerry; sister-in-law, Marilyn; son-in-law, Steven Clem; two grandchildren, Angela Sroufe and Jackie Tam-Troung; and one great-granddaughter, Grace Anderson. Mass of Christian Burial is 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 18, 2019, at Saint Henry Catholic Church, with calling one hour prior. Visitation also from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, at Divine Mercy Funeral Home, 3500 Lake Ave., Fort Wayne, with a rosary at 3:30 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Memorials, St. Henry Catholic Church or Visiting Nurses of Northeast Indiana. To sign the online guest book, go to www.divinemercyfuneralhome.com. "The family would like to thank Visiting Angels and Visiting Nurse Hospice for their wonderful care of our father". His words of wisdom, "Be KIND".