Eugene Karl (Gene) Grassle
Eugene Karl (Gene) Grassle, 78, of Springfield, died Sunday morning, June 17, 2007 at his home surrounded by his loving family. Gene was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Anna (Kull) and Eugene Grassle who had immigrated to America from Germany. He spent his early childhood in Newark, New Jersey. The family moved to Maine in 1940.
Gene graduated from Sumner High School, East Sullivan, in 1945. He went on to New York State Ranger School in Wanakena, New York, graduating in 1948 after an intensive one-year course in Forestry. In 1950 he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served with the 28th Infantry Division, Heavy Mortar Company 109th spending part of his time stationed in Augsburg, Germany where he had an opportunity to re-connect with his aunts, uncles and cousins. In December 1952, he received an Honorable Discharge from the Army and returned home to his parents in East Sullivan, Maine.
In the Spring of 1953 he accepted a position with International Paper Company in the Forest Engineering Department located in Livermore Falls, Maine, where he met his future wife. For the next six months he worked as a surveyor of woodlands owned by International Paper Company in Maine and New York. That autumn he began classes at the University of Maine in Orono where he completed his studies in three years graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture 1956 and was initiated into the Maine Chapter of Alpha Zeta Fraternity. In June 1956, he accepted a sales rep position with FMC Corporation headquartered in Chicago. His sales territory was Massachusetts so in August he moved his wife and new baby daughter, Doreen to Worcester where they lived for three years. While there his son, Eric was born. In November 1959 Gene received a promotion with FMC and moved his family back to Maine where they resided in Scarborough for the next ten years.
In 1969 he was offered another promotion as District Sales Manager for Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana so he moved his family to Springfield, Ohio. During May 1970 he successfully completed the Executive Development Program at the Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Michigan. He became an Area Sales Manager of Proprietary Products and later established a Regional Office in Dayton which served Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin from 1978-1983. Gene was a Board member and vice-president of the Ohio Pesticides Association which required him to travel to Washington D.C. to lobby pesticide legislation. He retired from FMC Corporation on June 30, 1990 after 34 years of service.
Gene has been an active member of the Northridge United Methodist Church serving as an usher, a Communion Steward, on the Memorial Gifts Committee, and the Activities Committee. After proudly sharing his gardens and well-manicured lawn during the WASSO Garden Tour in 1995, he and his wife decided to become certified Master Gardeners of Clark County and he maintained that membership until his death.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene and Anna Grassle. He leaves behind to cherish his memory his adoring wife of 51 years, Carlene; his daughter, Doreen and her husband Bob Crabtree of Huber Heights; his son Eric and his wife, Kelly of Urbana; his grandchildren, Bethany (Crabtree) and John Hoffman of Galloway, Ohio, Lindsay Crabtree of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Erica Grassle of Springfield, and Andrew Grassle of Urbana; and one great-grandson, Rory Amburgey of Urbana.
A gathering of family and friends will be held from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday in the LITTLETON & RUE FUNERAL HOME. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday in the funeral home with Reverend Roland Wildman officiating. Burial will be in Ferncliff Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Northridge United Methodist Church or the Master Gardeners of Clark County.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z