George Eugene (Gene) Rettig of Baton Rouge, Louisiana passed away December 16, 2020 after a life well lived and a hard-fought battle with cancer. George was born November4, 1931 in Zachary, Louisiana to Rachel S. and Andrew Rettig. George was graduated from Catholic High School and attended Louisiana State University and Texas Christian University. He was a veteran of the United States Navy. George met his wife of 62 years, Mary Le Healy Rettig and they married in 1958. George was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, uncle, friend, and mentor. To his 11 grandchildren and two great grandchildren, he will always be known as Papa, ever the engineer, to whom they went when they wanted to know how things worked. To his children he will always be Dad, the one who introduced them to music, food, witty retorts, Formula 1 racing, See’s Candy, and how to make the perfect roux. To Mary, he will always be Honey, the man who shows her the world through adventures and travel, and with whom he shared his deep faith in Catholicism. After serving in the Navy, George joined General Dynamics in San Diego where he specialized in technology and aeronautical technical writing. Highlights of his 33-year career with General Dynamics include authoring instruction manuals for the missile telemetry data processing lab and for Doppler tracking systems. In 1969, George was recognized by NASA with the Apollo Achievement Award as a member of the team responsible for man’s first landing on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. George retired from General Dynamics in 1991 as the Corporate Director for development and application of corporate policies for protection of electronic information systems. George’s second career started in 1992 when he and Mary returned to Baton Rouge after stints in California, Massachusetts, Texas and Missouri. There, he and Mary become very involved with the Catholic Church. As parishioners of St. Joseph Cathedral, George chaired the maintenance committee, co-led the Cathedral Square Garden Club and, most significantly, led a weekly adult study group for almost 12 years. George’s deep intellectual curiosity and ability to articulate complex subjects in an approachable way and his generous desire to share his faith fostered a close-knit study group which became a close-knit circle of friends who were there with him until his final days. George is preceded in death by his parents, Rachel and Andrew Rettig and his sister, Elaine Rettig Muse. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mary Healy Rettig, his children, Lise Rettig Frazier of Columbus, Ohio; Anne Rettig Bethune (Scott) of Kansas City Missouri; Cecelia; Fritz (Chi) of St. Louis, Missouri; and Kersten Rettig Knippers (Clark) of Dallas,Texas; Sarah Rodemann, Max Frazier, Brett, Brooke and Brogan Bethune, Andrew, Daniel and Mae-Linh Rettig, Connor and McKenna. Cook and Sam Knippers, and great-grandchildren Noah and Marian Frazier. He is also survived by his brother and best friend, Pat Rettig (Johnette) and their children and a host of family and friends who knew and loved him. The family wishes to thank the hospice team at Amedisys, especially Jessica. Service to be held Friday, December 18 at 10 am at St Joseph Cathedral, followed by burial at Roselawn Cemetery. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, masks and social distancing will be required. We want our loved ones to stay safe and healthy, and understand if you do not attend in person. Your prayers are appreciated. In lieu of flowers, the family appreciates formations to St. Joseph Cathedral or to the charity of your choice.
