Eugene "Gene" Herbert

Eugene Herbert was a man of great skill, of great patience, and great strength. He had many passions in life, a life full of triumphs and successes. He was a veteran, a husband, a father and friend, but he will forever be remembered as an example to others. The year was 1923, and America was enjoying its post-World War I boom, as jazz became popular, Prohibition was in full effect, and Time Magazine hit newsstands for the first time. In so many ways, the Roaring Twenties were really getting warmed up. And in this corner of the globe, William and Ellen (Rutledge) Herbert were preparing for their own celebration, as well. The couple proudly gave birth to Eugene on September 4, 1923, on a warm, sunny Tuesday in Muskegon. Gene joined brothers William and Robert and sister Mae in the Herbert household, filling their home with love and energy. Young Gene led an active youth, and his father taught him the grand game of golf from a very early age. Some of Gene's earliest memories were of his dad watching him swing a club in the backyard. It was a passion he would carry with him his whole life, and a pursuit which gave him tremendous success and joy. Gene attended Muskegon Public Schools, graduating from Muskegon High School. Like so many young men in those troubled times, after graduating he enlisted in the military, as the dark clouds of World War II had crossed the seas and settled over our nation. So the strapping young Gene joined the U.S. Army, where he was promptly shipped across the Atlantic to join the fray, serving in an anti-aircraft division on the dangerous battlefields of Central Europe. Gene spent the next few years fighting off the hordes of German Luftwaffe, and after the war ended, Gene returned to his home in Muskegon, and to the game he loved. Once back on his familiar, American soil, these sandy shores of Lake Michigan, Gene filled his days with the things he loved so much. He joined his fellow veterans at the Don Rea VFW Post #8846, where he became a lifelong member, as well as becoming a lifelong member of his local Elks Club. And in 1946, Gene also joined Lincoln Golf Club, which would be his home course the rest of his life. But that was Gene, once he found something he loved, he never needed to look further. Gene spent countless warm summer days on Lincoln's fairways, honing his game with a mix of hard work and natural ability. And Gene became an excellent golfer, with his crowning achievement winning the 1962 Muskegon City Championship. While Gene was enjoying great success as an amateur golfer, he was also enjoying his professional career as an accountant, working for the former Teledyne company in Muskegon. And like so many other things in his life, Gene stuck with it, retiring from the company in 1986 after a long career. Gene also found great love in his personal life, when he met a lovely woman named Shirley M. Senecal. The two fell in love, and were married August 20, 1966, when Gene was 43 years old. It might have taken him awhile to find his true love, but Gene always thought Shirley was worth the wait. He loved her very much, as well as her three children she brought into their new family, stepsons Michael and Thomas, and stepdaughter Joann. Gene died Wednesday, January 25, 2006, after a life full of successes, a life full of triumphs. He was a veteran, a husband, a father and friend, and a man of great patience and perseverance. Today his memory - and his example - live on in the hearts of all who knew him. He will be greatly missed. Members of his family include: Wife, Shirley M. Herbert, 2 step-sons, Michael (Sharon) Senecal of St. Joseph, MI & Thomas (Derba) Senecal of Grand Rapids, MI; 1 step-daughter, Joann (Ric) Vales of Grand Rapids, MI; 6 step-grandchildren & 1 step-great granddaughter, several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, 2 brothers, William & Robert Herbert, 1 sister, Mae Miller & 1 step-grandchild.