Gene Alton Wyatt

Gene Alton Wyatt, Sr., was born on August 28, 1933, to Doyle and Sunshine Wyatt in Montgomery, Alabama. Gene was the middle of three children, with older brother Doyle, Jr., and younger sister Donna Sue. Practically from the time he was born, Gene was known as "Shadow". You might think it was because his mother's given name was Sunshine, but it was actually because his two-year-old brother could not say "Gene Alton" and as it ran together, the neighborhood kids thought he was saying "Shadow," and the nickname stuck.

Gene married his high school sweetheart, Betty Watts, in 1951, and their family began growing right away. Gene also proudly enlisted in the Marine Corps during the Korean War, serving as an airplane mechanic on a carrier in the Pacific. Gene remembered and spoke of his years as a Marine with fondness for the rest of his life. After the service, he attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute (soon to be renamed Auburn University), graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1957.

In early 1963, Gene and his young wife, Betty, moved from Montgomery to Mobile with their five children, all under the age of eight. In Mobile, Gene began a career at the Army Corps of Engineers, where he worked with distinction until his retirement. While at the Corps, Gene also was widely known for his skill on the tennis court, playing regularly into his eighties and beating opponents half his age.

Gene was a dedicated and genuine follower of Jesus, and he lived his faith with love, strength, and with unapologetic and unwavering conviction. He humbly served as a deacon and a Sunday School teacher for many years at Cottage Hill Baptist Church, as well as being active in other churches in his later years.

Gene Wyatt, Sr., stepped from this life into Heaven on March 2, 2024, at the age of 90 in his home, surrounded by his family and enveloped in the grace and presence of God. He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother, and his first wife of fifty years, Betty Wyatt. He is survived by his wife, Charlotte Head Wyatt, his sister, Donna Sue Robinson, his children, Debi Collette (Ron), Cathy Wyatt, Gene Jr. (Donna), Rick (Rose), and Mark (MaryAnn), as well as fifteen grandchildren and a multitude of great-grandchildren. All of these loved ones, along with numerous other friends and family, will miss him deeply every day, thanking God often for having loved, and been loved by, this great man.