Eugene Henry Rigert

Eugene "Gene" Henry Rigert (1943-2025) of Sherwood, Oregon, passed away surrounded by the family he so deeply loved.

Born and raised in Portland, Gene built a life grounded in hard work, loyalty, and love. Strong and steady from the start, he never sought attention yet was always the one holding everything together.

While serving in the Air Force, Gene met and married his wife Linda Pouley in 1967 and soon after welcomed three rambunctious kids. While in the service his precision and work ethic quickly stood out as a B52 mechanical crew chief. He briefly worked on the railroad before beginning a long and respected career as an electrician. During this time he was also a talented drag racer – with his brother John on his team and wife Linda on the pit crew. A proud member of IBEW Local 48, Gene earned admiration from peers across decades in the trade and retired as a highly regarded journeyman. A true "Mr. Fix-It," he could build or repair anything and lived by his favorite saying: "If you're going to do it, do it right!"

Gene poured his heart into his family-building go-carts and treehouses, teaching his kids how to care for their cars, and handing out the occasional thump on the head when they were being awful little brats. He never missed his kids' games, sometimes earning a red card for his strong "opinions". Though he never graduated from college, he invested nearly every penny he made into his kids' education, determined to give them every opportunity he could. As a grandfather (Papa), he was incredible-letting the grandkids hang out in his shop, teaching, laughing, and passing on his know-how. His softer side shined in later years, and every goodbye ended with "I love you."

Gene's greatest pride was his family. He leaves behind his wife, Linda; his children, Marney Jett (Kelly), Jennifer Browning (Scott), and Michael Rigert; his grandchildren, Kye, Noey and Marcus; and his brothers, John Rigert (Ramona) and Richard Rigert (Jackie). He was preceded in death by his older brother, Ken Rigert (Michelle).

A ceremony honoring Gene's life will be held at Willamette National Cemetery on November 14th at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the IBEW Local 48 Sick Fund, 15937 NE Airport Way, Portland, OR 97230.

He was the very definition of a good man-steady, proud, and deeply loved. He will be missed always.