After graduating from high school, Gene joined the Navy. He was then stationed in Charleston, South Carolina after completing Hospital Corpsmen and X-Ray Technology School. It was there that he met the love of his life Wladyslawa (Alice) Kuczewski while waiting in the chow line. They were married for almost 66 years until her passing in 2019 one day prior to their wedding anniversary.
After being honorably discharged from the Navy, Gene attended Clinical Lab school in St Louis, Missouri. Upon graduating from lab school Gene worked at Bartow Memorial Hospital in the X-Ray and Lab Department while earning his undergraduate college degree at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida.
During this time Gene and Alice were married surrounded by family and friends in Rhode Island. While living in Bartow Gene and Alice’s son Mike was born. Wanting to better himself and the life for his family Gene and Alice moved back to St Louis so that Gene could pursue a master’s degree in hospital administration at Washington University. Prior to relocating to St Louis, their daughter Barbara was born in Rockford, Illinois where Gene’s parents lived.
After graduating with his master’s degree, Gene and Alice moved numerous times so that Gene could pursue his career in Hospital Administration. Gene worked as an Assistant Administrator at Orange Memorial Hospital in Orlando, Florida; Good Samaritan Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky; Mound Park Hospital in St Petersburg, Florida and Lakeland Hospital in Lakeland, Florida. Gene finally reached his goal of becoming President and CEO at Halifax Hospital Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. After working at Halifax for 10 years Gene and Alice relocated to Tacoma, Washington where Gene worked at Tacoma General Hospital as President and CEO. After a few years, both Gene and Alice missed the Sunshine State, so they relocated back to Jacksonville, Florida where he worked as President and CEO of Memorial Medical Center until his retirement.
Gene and Alice lived in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida for many years before relocating to World Golf Village in St Augustine, Florida. In addition to his 2 children, Gene is survived by 4 grandchildren (Travis, Kira and husband Christopher Barfield, Caitlin and husband Christopher Haverkamp and Matthew) and 4 great-grandchildren (Madelyn, Jonah, and Liberty Barfield and Christopher (Kit) Haverkamp).
Gene grew up hunting, fishing, trapping and camping in the Midwest with his parents and his brother Don. As an adult he enjoyed travelling including trips to Hawaii, western Canada, California, Arizona and North Carolina. One of his favorite retreats was the Hemlock Inn in Bryson City, North Carolina. Gene was an avid gardener and especially liked orchids and tropical plants. He was a diehard college football fan with particular loyalty to the University of Florida Gators and his beloved University of Illinois Fighting Illini.
Special thanks to longtime friend and “Illinois Buddy” Robert Birch, the caring and compassionate nurses and staff at Westminster St Augustine Health Center, Baptist Medical Center Downtown Neuro ICU and Community Hospice and Palliative Care at Baptist Medical Center. Additional thanks for the excellent care provided by Dr Bryan Riggeal, Baptist Health Neuro-Opthamologist and Dr Neeraj Naval, Medical Director, Neurocritical Care and Inpatient Neurosciences at Baptist Medical Center.
In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America at https://myasthenia.org/.
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