H. Gene Fear
January 17, 1939 - November 29, 2022
Obituary
Howard Eugene “Gene” Fear was born in Centralia, Washington January 17, 1939, to T. Howard Fear and Eva Stillman Fear. Within his first year, the family moved to Chehalis, WA. where he grew up. His dad spent twenty-three years in the grocery and meat market business, Gene’s mother was a teacher in the Chehalis school system. A good work ethic was learned at an early age in and around the grocery store. Gene was raised and spent many years active in the Free Methodist Church. Gene attended Cascade Grade School; R. E. Bennett Jr. High; graduating from Chehalis High School, 1957. He loved sports and played baseball, basketball, football and tennis, Lettering in each sport, including four years on the varsity tennis team, going to state tournaments each year. He helped in the grocery store stocking shelves, cleaned offices, and delivered papers.
He went on to Centralia College for two years where he worked for Benny’s Florist delivering flowers, introducing him to the funeral service industry. Gene went to work for Fissell Brown Mortuary in Chehalis, he didn’t know this would be his life’s work. Involved with making removals, ambulance work, funeral services and learning the art of embalming. Moving on to California College of Mortuary Science in Los Angeles graduating with honors. He worked at Chapel of Memories in Norwalk, CA; funeral services by day, and weddings in the evening. He spent evenings studying, arranging weddings for young couples to be married in the chapel on weekends, and hosting evening funeral visitations, what an experience. Graduation from Mortuary College and obtaining licenses in Washington and California, next came a four-year hitch in the U.S. Army, which was to have been in Graves Registration, his unit was sent to Korea while he went to Germany where the Military Mortuary System was headquartered.
He went back to Southern California to work and activate his licenses. Two years later, he moved to Seattle working for a small funeral home moving on to a larger funeral home Wiggen & Sons in Ballard. He met his second wife, Julie, and they each had two children six years apart: Joe and Deanna, Dean and Jennifer. We eventually bought the business. We enjoyed serving families in the greater Seattle Area, putting in many hours of hard work. Gene was elected President of the Washington State Funeral Directors Association, 1995-1996, and visited most all funeral homes in Washington State twice during the year. He joined many local organizations, several were Norwegian, enjoying the Norwegian Male Chorus in Seattle and Bellingham. June of 2000, Wiggen and Sons Funeral Home was sold to BONNEY WATSON, which was a good fit as they were family owned and had like benefits to their employees. Gene worked for them a few years and then retired.
We built a home and moved to Birch Bay where we enjoyed entertaining, travel, golf, bike riding and everything that small town America has to offer. In 2016, Gene and Julie moved to Panorama in Lacey, WA enjoying all the benefits and amenities of living in a retirement community. Gene passed away peacefully at home under the care of Assured Hospice, surrounded by his family November 29, 2022.
Memorials are suggested to his church, Evergreen Christian Community, 1000 Black Lake Blvd SW, Olympia, WA 98502 or Assured Hospice, 2102 Carriage St. SW, STE H, Olympia, WA 98502.
We are so glad we got to spend an evening with you and Gene shortly before he passed away. Gene was such a kind, soft spoken man who loved his Lord and Savior.
We loved being friends with Gene and Julie when they lived in Birch Bay. We would arrange to have dinner somewhere in the area from time to time. Gene enjoyed my humor (I think) and always worked to keep me humble. He succeeded. We will miss him and gus visits back to Bellingham from time to time. He was a unique gentleman in every great sense of the word.
We will miss him so much
Gene was a true mentor. He was a funeral director’s funeral director and will be missed.
A Godly, kind man. He game such good advice at my fathers passing. I got to sing quartet one time with him. He had a good voice, me, not so much but we had fun praising the Lord with what the Lord gave us. I am so happy he came by my life.
What a wonderful gentleman and friend. I have know Gene all of my life. I will miss him, but I know he is with our Lord and Savior and that soon we will meet again. Peace be with you Julie and your family. Enjoy every moment you have with your family.
Lewis R.( Louie) Noel
I Am so extremely sorry to learn of Gene’s passing! I grew up in Chehalis on the same
street that Gene lived on. Gene & I were best friends during our high school years in
W.F.West High. We were the # 1 doubles team on our high school team at went to the
State Tournament each year and also the top doubles team at Centralia College team.
Gene & I shared an apartment in Fissell Brown Funeral Home in Chehalis serving our
apprenticeships for the funeral business. After graduating with honors from Centralia
College we both moved to Los Angeles to attend he Caifornia College of Mortuary
College where we graduated with highest honors. When Gene came back to Seattle
to work, I returned to Chehalis to work. Later I managed a funeral home in Wenatchee
Wash. Later I returned to Puallup at Powers Funeral Home, I sold our 3 funeral homes
in1998. Gene & I did not get together as often due to our labor intensive work. I will always miss Gene and his love of God’s Word,his Godly ways, his honesty nd friendship