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Thomas E. 'Gene' Urie Cedar City, UT QCWA # 19165 Chapter 130 |
Eugene Urie came into this world August 10, 1925 and left it to continue the journey January 5, 2007. In between, he had a wonderful life!
His parents, John Milton and Ruth Gottfredson Urie, were what is called "the salt of the earth" and he didn't stray far from their example. His dad died in an accident when Gene was only 13 years old, leaving his mother to raise sons that were 19, 17, 13, and 9 in the depression years. In spite of all the hardships, or maybe because of them, all four sons earned college degrees. Gene is an excellent example of a product of Utah schools, graduating from Cedar Elementary and Cedar High School. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps during World War II and wound up being trained in that new technology called radar. When the war was over, he went to college at the BAC (SUU) and graduated with a BSEE from Utah State Agricultural College (USU). When he graduated, he took a regular commission in the United States Air Force, he served at Norton Air Force Base, California, Wiesbaden, Germany, and was assigned to Washington, D.C. He resigned his commission and went to work for the CIA as an electronics countermeasures specialist. Along the way he accomplished his most important earthly tasks, marrying Inez Relyea in 1948; and together they gave eight children the chance to come to earth. Phillip (Peggy) Relyea Urie, Ann (Michael) Urie Nunes, Steven (Renae) Relyea Urie, Glenn (Pattie) Relyea Urie, Meg (Allen) Urie Bullock, James Relyea Urie (now with his father), Ruth (Charles) Urie Campbell, and Thomas (Mara) Relyea Urie; 241/2 grandchildren; 14 (and counting) great-grandchildren.
Gene was always an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Three influences, his parents, the LDS Church, and the educational system of Utah, shaped Gene into the man he became.