C. Eugene Settle

C. Eugene (Gene) Settle passed away on February 8, 2026. His 85 years were guided by the philosophy to "choose life," while engaging in the work of tikkun olam (repairing the world) in his singular way. He was known for his smile, wit, warmth, and life-long passion for education.

Born January 24, 1941, in Tucson, Gene was raised as an only child on a small family farm. As a high schooler, Gene played baseball and the double bass, performing as one of the youngest members of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. He served in the Air Force (1961-1967) where he trained as a cytotechnologist. He moved to Colorado where he married and started a family, raising his children Amber and Chad. The family returned to Tucson in the early 1970s to the Settle family homestead living next-door to his parents, where his first wife and children continued to live after a divorce. While working full time, he earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees at the University of Colorado and University of Arizona, respectively.

Gene found the love of his life, Patty, in the late 1970s. They moved to Kansas City in the early 1980s, married, and had a daughter, Jaime. They built a life together rich in relationships cultivated with family and friends. In 1989, he moved the family back to Tucson to complete his Ph.D. in Plant Genetics. He defended his dissertation in 1993, at age 52, and later secured a full-time appointment at the University of Arizona College of Medicine's Department of Physiology, where he taught until 2016. In 2015, he was awarded the highest honor bestowed by students upon a professor: The 5-Star Teaching Award.

In 2017, Gene and Patty moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, to be closer to Jaime. In retirement, Gene immersed himself in his hobbies: listening to classical music, curating the materials in his extensive library, and fostering wonderful new friendships. He faced major health challenges in these years with trademark courage, resilience, and a mindset guided by what he could do, not what he couldn't.

Gene is preceded in death by his mother Florence (Wilcox) and father J.C. Settle. He is survived by his wife of 43 years Patty Settle; his children Amber (Andre Berthiaume), Chad (Noelle), and Jaime (Michael Draeger); grandchildren Jack Settle, Eva Settle, Charlotte Settle, and Cyrus Draeger; and sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Julie (Greg) Sizemore, and their families.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to NPR, the Arizona Assurance Program scholarship fund, or a cause important to you. For the full obituary and to leave expressions of sympathy, please visit www.NelsenWilliamsburg.com.