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July 29, 1928 – July 5, 2024

 

Eugene Biek, father of six boys, avid bicyclist, swimmer, tennis player, bridge player and clarinetist, and world traveler with Mary Ellen, his wife of 72 years, died July 5, 2024, at The Vistas Assisted Living facility in Redding, California. He was 95.

Gene was born in Dowagiac, Michigan. His father, Frank, died when Gene was just 5, shortly after his sister Evelyn was born. Their mother, Elizabeth, went to work as a bookkeeper for the city, and with the help of her extended family, raised Gene and Evelyn during the difficult years of the depression. Gene’s first job was a paper route in the 8^th or 9^th grade, delivering on weekends by bicycle in the summer and by sled in the winter; he made 7 cents a week per customer if he could collect what was owed. In high school, he also worked at Lyles Dairy, starting at 40 cents/hour as a cleaner. He could eat and drink all he wanted, and as a young lad grew 6 inches his first year on the job. He eventually drove a delivery truck taking ice cream to nearby stores; his buddy drove a bakery truck and they would sometimes meet and “share.”

As a child, Gene started a stamp collection, which grew with the help of stamps from the Biek Manufacturing Company, his uncles’ (Bill and Mike) bait and bobber business. He also collected discarded stamps from other businesses in town, which he continued actively until he noticed in high school that girls might be more interesting.

Gene met the love of his life, Mary Ellen Casey, in his senior year at Central High School in Dowagiac, Michigan. He asked Mary Ellen to go with him to Senior Skip Day; they clicked and dated that summer before he left for MIT at age 17. After Gene graduated from MIT with a degree in chemical engineering, they were married in Dowagiac on October 6, 1950.

After their marriage, they first lived in Chicago where Gene worked in the Technical Department of Allied Chemical and Dye Company. After their first son, David, was born in 1952 they decided to leave Chicago for Niagara, Wisconsin, where Gene worked as a chemical engineer at the Kimberly Clark pulp and paper mill. Sons James, Donald, John, and Robert were born there. In 1962, Gene was transferred to Neenah, Wisconsin, where son Michael was born. Then in 1965, Gene (and several of his colleagues and their families) was transferred to Anderson, California, and the new Kimberly Clark pulp and papermill. They bought a house on Alta Mesa Drive in Redding in the Western Ranches subdivision and lived there for 57 years.

Gene and Mary Ellen were accomplished bridge players; they and their friends held almost weekly bridge parties at each other’s homes. Gene also played with the Redding Duplicate Bridge Club for many years, eventually obtaining Gold Life Master. He was an original member of the Shasta College Community Band where he played clarinet for many years. Our parents were also fond of pool parties in their backyard. And every summer and on many long weekends, Gene took the boys camping, giving Mary Ellen much needed breaks from raising six boys. He and the boys also enjoyed sailing, skiing, and rock hunting.

In 1981 he started occasional rides to work, a roundtrip distance of 21 miles. He had a fondness for numbers and kept records of miles ridden (186,882 miles by the time he was 89). In 1991, two years after he retired, he started keeping track of the coins he collected along the side of the road; his “road money” totaled $452.51 over the next 26 years, which worked out to 3.3 cents per biking hour, in his words “not a great source of income.” Gene had a wonderful sense of humor, including a fondness for penning limericks. He was always able to make Mary Ellen laugh. They both welcomed and treasured their daughters-in-law.

After Gene retired in 1989, he and Mary Ellen traveled the world. They enjoyed touring by bicycle through most of Europe, as well as Mexico, Costa Rica, New Zealand, and many bicycle trips in the United States. They always carried tennis racquets and enjoyed playing after most rides. For their 50th anniversary, the boys sent them to Wimbledon. They also enjoyed stargazing and spent many nights with their telescope in the backyard. Gene began making small batches of fruit wines in 1994 and continued the entire time they lived at their home. Berry and citrus wines were the most popular, and we enjoy them to this day.

Gene’s passing was preceded by that of his parents, Elizabeth and Frank Biek. He is survived by his sister, Evelyn Davis, his six sons, seven grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. The family would like to thank the staff at The Vistas and Bristol Hospice for the compassionate care they provided for Gene. There will be a private family remembrance held later.