Eugene H. Styer, 80, of Sturgeon Bay, was called home Friday evening (June 29, 2012) while at his home after a courageous battle with cancer.
He was born May 19, 1932 in Menomonie, Wisconsin, the son of the late Ernest and Jeanette (Adams) Styer. Gene graduated from Dunn County Aggie High School. He served his country with the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956, stationed on Eniwetok Atoll Island (part of the Marshall Islands) in 1955 where the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission conducted nuclear explosives testing.
On October 25, 1958 he married Joan Ardele Freiberg. Gene moved to the Twin Cities in 1959 and settled into their home in Coon Rapids in 1964. Gene eventually went to work for Graco Manufacturing in Minneapolis, and was the Fluid Systems Lab Supervisor for the company. In the summer of 1976 he transferred with Graco to Franklin Park near Chicago. He moved his family at that time to Glen Ellyn, IL. In 1980 Gene transferred to Green Bay and eventually returned to Illinois with Graco to manage a new lab that had recently been opened. After retiring from Graco in 1995 he moved to Southern Door with his wife.
He worked for Southern Door School District as a maintenance engineer, and as bus driver until the fall of 2010. Gene enjoyed all the children he met and transported throughout the years. He worked until his health caused him to retire.
Gene was creative, intelligent, and had a strong sense of humor, even after his diagnosis. He had a quick wit and enjoyed visits with family, friends, and fellow employees. Gene had enjoyed traveling with his family, especially in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and traveling to Alaska several times where his granddaughter is now an Air Traffic Controller. In his youth he enjoyed the deer camps and hunting. He liked to camp with his family.
Survivors include his wife, Joan of Sturgeon Bay; two daughters, Corinne (Mark) Schaefer of Sturgeon Bay, Wendy (Rick) O’Connor of Alvord, TX, his two sons, Bob (Jill) Styer of Apple Valley, MN, David (Kathy) Styer of Maribel, WI; 10 grandchildren; two brothers, Richard (Ione) Styer of Mankato, MN, and Norbert (Elaine) Styer of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Preceding him in death were his parents; infant son, Peter; three sisters and brothers-in-law, Betty (George) Gehlauf, Phyllis (Bert) Peterson, Virginia (Matt) McDonald.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday (July 6, 2012) at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Menomonie, Wisconsin. Burial with military honors will follow Friday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minnesota.
Friends may call first at Huehns Funeral Home in Sturgeon Bay on Tuesday (July 3, 2012) from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Family will continue visitation on Thursday (July 5, 2012) at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Menomonie from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and on Friday morning at the church from 10:00 a.m. until the time of services at 10:30 a.m.
Sign online guestbook and offer condolences at http://www.huehnsfuneralhome.com/.
