Eugene "Gene" Waddell

1950 - 2021

Eugene "Gene" Waddell
May 23, 1950 - December 14, 2021
San Luis Obispo, California - Eugene ("Gene") John Waddell, 71, passed away on December 14, 2021, in San Luis Obispo, CA, where he had been a resident since 2018. Despite being fully vaccinated, Gene died in the French Hospital ICU from complications from COVID19; he had an underlying condition that made his body incapable of fighting it. Gene's wife and daughters were with him at the time of his death. Gene was born in San Francisco, the son of the late Eugene Armour Waddell and Dorothy (nee Papia) Waddell. He grew up in San Francisco and graduated from Saint Ignatius College Preparatory in 1968. He started his working life as an auto mechanic, eventually transitioning to fleet management, in which capacity he served a number of bay area local governments. When he was 55, he went back to school and in 2009 proudly graduated from San Francisco State with a B.A. in Urban Studies and Geography. He then worked in the field of environmental services, focusing on installation of trash capture devices to keep litter and debris out of the Bay, before fully retiring.
Gene was a hands-on kind of person with a deep interest and concern for those he loved and the world around him. He never tired of trying to figure out ways to help people; he leaned into the interests of those around him, and found unique ways to celebrate and embrace them. He could fix anything; he loved to work on the family cars and household projects, and recently was thrilled to help his daughters with projects in their newly acquired homes. He tirelessly helped his friends and neighbors in any way he could, and was a member of the local Kiwanis Club. He was funny, a keen reader, and loved crossword puzzles; one of his daily pleasures was doing the NYT puzzle with his wife. He loved to travel and to entertain, and was an excellent mixologist, especially known for his rye Manhattans. Gene was so full of life and love, to say he will be missed is a gross understatement. Gene would ask everyone who is able to get fully vaccinated so others don't suffer the fate of a life unnecessarily cut short.
Gene leaves to cherish his memory his wife Joan Borger; his daughters Janine and Elizabeth (Anthony Lahlouh); stepsons Alexander Calonne (Jaclyn Ferber), Nicholas Calonne (Allison Ferraiolo), and Michael Calonne; sister Nanci (Albert Mauricio) and brother Thomas; nephews and niece, and many other extended family and close friends. Gene was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Robert. A celebration of Gene's life will be held at a later date. For those wishing, contributions may be made to The Leukemia And Lymphoma Society.