BOMBER MEMORIAL

EUGENE SYDNEY "GENE" ALTENA ~ Class of 1965
August 29, 1947 - January 10, 2012

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Eugene Sydney "Gene" Altena passed away at his home in Auburn, WA on January 10, 2012 after a courageous battle with large B-cell lymphoma. Gene will be greatly missed by Mary Kavanaugh, his loving wife for 26 years; his daughter, Melinda; his son, Kevin; his father, Sydney; his sister, Dianna ('68); his brother, Ken ('78); and the rest of his family and friends.

Gene was born in Richland on August 29, 1947 to Sydney and Maxine Altena. He attended Jefferson Elementary School, Chief Jo Junior High School and graduated with the Class of 1965 from Richland's Columbia High School.

He was active in Scouting as a youth, attained the rank of Eagle and established many lifelong friendships. After graduating from Washington State University, he was commissioned as an officer in the U. S. Coast Guard where he proudly served for over 20 years with assignments in Washington D.C., Honolulu, Long Beach, Adak, AK and Seattle. Gene retired at the rank of Commander in 1992.

Since then, Gene pursued many passions including raising his children, earning a teaching certificate and teaching high school in Kent and Auburn School Districts and in Watertown, NY. He also enjoyed the finer points of home remodeling, wood working and welding; traveling around the state, the country and the world with family and friends; and “farming” on his property in the Kent Valley, which he has called home for over 35 years.

We wish to thank all of the family, friends, doctors and medical professionals who provided care and comfort to Gene as he tried to gain the upper hand on his lymphoma.

Memorial donations in memory of Gene Altena may be directed to:

Star Lake Elementary, 4014 S. 270th St., Kent, WA 98032
(A special education project of Mary in Gene’s honor).

Or

Franciscan Hospice Care, PO Box 1502, Tacoma, WA 98401-9836.

Published in the Tri-City Herald on February 5, 2012.

NOTE:

His mother, Maxine, passed away on October 2, 2006.

His father, Sydney, passed away on February 3, 2014.

Bomber Memorial put together by Maren SMYTH ('63 and '64) and edited by Shirley COLLINGS Haskins ('66).