My name is Mary Anne Rash and my dad, Sam Rash was a buddy of your dad's from the Navy. Sadly my dad passed Sept 3, 1991. I remember that Gene called my mom and spoke of how my dad had had a big influence on his life at one point. Never knew how just that he did. Some years later I was able to locate Chuck Heacox and Pat Malone who also flew with my dad. I also was able to acquire your Dad's email from the Van 35 website and sent him an email. Your dad emailed me back and was so very gracious. I was so sorry to get your email telling of your dad's passing. Sadly it seems an end of an era. I have no doubt that Gene and my dad are in heaven telling the best sea stories ever!! When I get to heaven I'm going to ask them to start over as I don't want to miss anything. My Dad was a big Civil War buff. We spent many a summer wandering around battlefields. Here is a little sea story of my own. In Petersburg VA there is a old (very old) church called Blanford Church. The Daughters of the Confederacy restored the church as a memorial to the war dead. All the confederate states donated a stained glass window by Tiffany and Co. The state of TN had an inscription on theirs. "To live in the hearts of those we leave behind is never to die". I have found this to be so true and a comfort to me. My dad has been gone 21 years now, I think of him often. A friend once told me, the death of a loved one is something you don't "get over", you just learn to live with it. I believe this to be a truth also. Please know that you and your family are in my prayers. I will let my mom know of Gene's passing. She has Alzheimer's now but her long term memory is still pretty intact. With sympathy and prayers, Mary Anne Rash