Gene passed away peacefully at the age of 90 with his wife, daughter, and grandsons at his side.

Gene was very proud to have been born at home on his family farm near St. Paul, Kansas, where he

attended school in a one-room schoolhouse. He paid his way through the University of Kansas, where he

earned both his undergraduate and master's degrees in electrical engineering. After graduation, he

worked at King Radio for more than 30 years, where he designed (and patented) many new things,

including contributions to GPS. He learned to fly and became a pilot, even creating a runway on his

parents’ farm to land and fly his mother around.

Gene played the saxophone, piano, and the clarinet. He wrote books on winemaking, bridges, the history

of music, and his family genealogy. He was rarely without a pencil and notepad in his shirt pocket, and

used these to explain, record, and investigate. When Gene and his wife Mary retired to Colorado, he took

up mushroom hunting and winemaking with his sister, Mary, and her late husband, Fred.

Just like his father and grandfather, Gene was passionate about woodworking. He built many family

heirlooms, including a grandfather clock for Mary. Gene turned table legs on his lathe but never made

two exactly alike – that would be boring. He could (and did) fix or build almost anything. Once his

grandsons were born, Gene used these talents to make them wooden toy trains and other trinkets. In his

80s, he discovered 3-D printing and mastered it, making toys and sentimental items.

Although Gene had never learned to swim, when the family chose Turks and Caicos as a yearly vacation

destination, he decided to take swimming lessons. He learned to swim and snorkel at the age of 80,

joining Gage and Hogan in the ocean. He considered his grandsons to be his greatest treasure.

Gene would often brag about family members who had lived to be 90 years old.

Gene is survived by his wife of over 55 years, Mary; his daughter, Suzanne Elton, an orthopedic surgeon

of whom Gene was tremendously proud; his two grandsons, Gage and Hogan Elton; and his sister, Mary

Brown.

If Gene were still able to fly, he would do so energetically and would love to help those in need. In light

of this, please consider making a donation to Air Charity Network in lieu of sending flowers.