Eugene Zumwalt Obituary

Eugene Zumwalt
January 7, 1924 - July 27, 2023
Tollhouse, California - Eugene Ellsworth Zumwalt, 99, passed away at home on July 27, 2023. Eugene was born January 7,1924 in Portland, Oregon. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps and became a P-38 fighter pilot in World War II, flying 27 missions out of Foggia, Italy.
After the war, Eugene married Norma Orberg, with whom he had four sons, Gary, Mark, Kurt, and Karl. He earned a B.A. in English at the University of Oregon and Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley.
In 1959, Eugene joined the English Department faculty at California State University, Fresno, where he taught Shakespeare, Chaucer, medieval literature, and nonfiction prose writing for 40 years. In addition to being a dedicated and demanding professor, he was instrumental in the establishment of the California Faculty Association. Throughout his career he was a strong voice for faculty governance, serving many terms as English Department Academic Senator. He also served as Chair of the English Department during the tumultuous early 1970s, during which he fiercely defended academic freedom and faculty rights.
Eugene was a man of many interests and activities, including camping, fishing, canoeing, and welding. With a partner, he started and operated a small press, Zumwalt Press, which published a number of books. Later, he revived the press under the name Scrub Jay Press and concentrated on publishing books of regional interest.
In 1997, Eugene married Chris Henson, with whom he built a house in the Sierra Nevada foothills near the town of Tollhouse.
Eugene is survived by his wife, Chris Henson; three of his sons, Mark, Kurt, and Karl; his daughters-in-law, Joan Zumwalt, Teri Zumwalt, and Diane Zumwalt; six grandchildren; and six great grandchildren.
Memorial services will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Fresno State English Department. Checks can be made to the Fresno State Foundation, with "Eugene Zumwalt Scholarship" in the memo, and mailed to 2380 E. Keats Ave., MB99, Fresno, CA 93740. For questions about donations, call 559-278-6858.

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Published by Fresno Bee on Aug. 6, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
for Eugene Zumwalt

11 Entries

Ernesto Reyes

Planted Trees

Trevor Stephens

November 21, 2024

My grandfather Frank Weihs worked with Dr Zumwalt at Fresno state in the English department my mom claims that one of his sons watched her when she lived down there.

Doug Lowe

August 14, 2023

I was a student of Dr. Zumwalt at CSUF from 1978 through 1981. He was amazing -- I took as many classes from him as I could, starting with a lower division poetry class from which I still have a few favorite poems (especially the WWI poetry of Wilfred Owen and Henry Reed), Medieval Literature (Beuwolf to Chaucer), and -- the highlight -- Shakespeare. I remember many hours spent in the Library looking up every word of various sonnets in the OED. How excited I was a few years back to find a complete 1989 OED at Phoenix Books in San Luis Obispo. I bought it and think of Dr. Zumwalt every time I use it!

Back in those days smoking was permitted even in the classrooms and man did he love his tobacco! I'm so glad he lived such a long life in spite of that!

I also remember a few of his war stories -- especially about being the photographer on dam busting missions, where he was the last plane in the formation and flew by just as the gunners on the ground got their bearings! That always sounded really harrowing.

And of course it was always fun to see his latest Letter to the Editor in the Fresno Bee!

He will be missed. I will never forget him.

Blessings to all who knew & loved him.

Marjorie Barks

August 14, 2023

Professors Zumwalt and Chittick were two of the finest teachers it has ever been my privilege to know and study under. They profoundly affected my life.

jim

August 13, 2023

i forgot to add that i was at FSC during the golden years of english lit---we had phil levine, dr. zumwalt, dr. stanley poss, dr. bill (contingency) uphill (?), and several others in the English department who were well known and great teachers. We produced the Fresno Poets.

Jolie

August 13, 2023

Eugene was man with a lot of spunk! He lead a full and richly diverse life. He will be missed! Condolences to the family.

jim merzon

August 13, 2023

Happened across this by accident. I had Dr. Zumwalt at FSC as an English major 1960-64. Always enjoyed his classed and thought of him as a great guy.

Pauline Sahakian

August 10, 2023

Dr. Zumwalt was one of my all time favorite professors at Fresno State. A a Freshman, I was petrified of him. As a grad student, I loved how he challenged me. We have lost a remarkable mind.

Allison Frost

August 8, 2023

I went to Fresno State in the late 80s and early 90s. I took a few classes from him during my time there. His intro to literature class was the very first English class I took in my first semester. And what a class. I remember the first novel he assigned was Louise Erdrich's "Love Medicine," but we also read poetry by Blake, sonnets of Shakespeare, plays by Brecht. He was tough in the best possible way, genuinely curious about you and why you thought what you thought. Why do you say that? What does that remind you of? Where does that come from? I deeply regret not looking him up to tell him what an impact he had on me, as I had intended to do and started to do many times over the years. On my first paper he wrote insightful notes, gave it an A (or an A minus it might have been) and wrote that I could get a PhD in English if I wanted to. That vote of confidence made an indelible mark. I didn't go into academia, but I did get a masters in journalism and now work in public radio. Not the same but like to think he would have approved. I can only imagine what a loving and fun father, grandfather, husband and friend he must have been to those lucky people in his circle. And how much he must be missed. Thank you for the note, Gene. I will continue to carry it with me.