Eugene H. Perry, 92, passed away peacefully November 6, 2023, in Post Falls after a brief illness. A service for Gene will be held sometime in the spring. Gene was born in Oakland, California, on February 20, 1931, to Hallie and Robert Perry. He attended Oakland public schools and graduated from Cal Poly in 1956 with an architectural engineering degree.
Gene and his first wife, Jacqueline Perry (deceased), moved to Mill Valley, California, in 1964, where they lived for many years, raising three children; Dale, Suzanne and Maureen. Gene was later married to Bonnie Wudtke (deceased). He married Ruth Vandenberg in 1998 and they lived for many years in Sausalito, California, before moving to Bonners Ferry, Ruth’s hometown.
Architecture was Gene’s passion. He worked at several architecture firms in San Francisco and later as a project manager at University of California San Francisco. In 2005, he and Ruth bought the old Northside School and converted it into a bed and breakfast, which they operated for 14 years. Gene continued to design and build projects until the end.
Gene is survived by his wife, Ruth; children Dale Perry (Debora), Suzanne Killion (Paul) and Maureen Youngstrom (Scott), eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by the many buildings he designed around the Bay Area. He will be dearly missed.
Gene enjoyed writing limericks and he wrote a last one:
I show a long life on my family tree,
And if well spent, we shall see.
Life has passed by
Like the blink of an eye.
Thanks all for what you gave me.