Eugene Merle Shearer

Born in Kansas City, MO to parents Merle and Helen Shearer, “Gene” Shearer passed away at Littleton Hospital Sunday, September 30th at age 94 surrounded by his family. Gene is survived by his wife, C. Grace Shearer, their children; Laura Gorman, Virginia McGrane, Carol Young and Andrew Shearer as well as his eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Gene and Grace celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in March of this year and Grace’s 90th Birthday just weeks ago.

Gene was a Tech Sargent in the United States Marines during World War II. As a communications officer, he was stationed in the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific and was part of the occupying force in Tokyo and Hiroshima, Japan near the end of the war.

After the war, Gene and Grace were married in Kansas City in 1948 and made their home initially in Boulder Canyon while Gene went to school at the University of Colorado where he lettered in gymnastics and received his undergraduate and master’s degrees in geology. They moved to Denver with their first two children and he founded a geological consulting business, Knox Bergman and Shearer (KBS), in the early 1950’s. KBS was re-named Intrasearch in the 1970’s and had offices in Denver and Billings, MT. The company was an innovator in aerial mapping and surface geology during the heyday of world-wide energy exploration. Gene worked on projects in Alaska, the lower 48 states, Europe, North Africa, Australia and Southeast Asia during his career. He also gave back to his industry by being a founder and active participant in the Denver Petroleum Club, The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (RMAG) and was on the advisory board for the University of Colorado Geology School. He participated in an industry study group, the “Geolly Boys”, for decades after his retirement and was a life-long learner in his field of expertise.

Gene was versatile and accomplished in many areas of his life including a childhood background in classical violin and paying for part of his college education by playing guitar in jazz groups in Boulder and socially throughout his life with friends and colleagues in the Denver area. He was an accomplished handball player, skier, tennis player, scuba diver and private airplane pilot. Gene was an enthusiastic outdoorsman - camping, hiking, and hunting in North America and fresh and salt water fishing in many locations around the world. Gene and Grace travelled extensively and engendered a love of travel in their children.

We all love you and will miss you and your great sense of humor, your leadership and friendship so much.

The family will have private services at Fort Logan National Cemetery and a Celebration of Life reception at Olinger Chapel Hill Mortuary for all friends of the family from 2:30 to 4:30 on October 22, 2018. Those wishing to remember Gene Shearer are invited to donate to a charity of their choice or to the University of Colorado in his honor.