Gene W. Hedrick, 55, of Cove, a former Haines resident, died Sept. 1, 2003, as a result of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident near Cove.
There was a celebration of his life Friday at the Loveland Funeral Chapel in La Grande. Private inurnment will be at a later date.
Mr. Hedrick was born Oct. 13, 1947, at Hillsboro. He was the son of George W. and Ann Ustic Hedrick. He attended school and graduated from high school in Seattle. He worked there for a time before he began attending college at the University of Washington at Seattle.
After college, he worked as a drug and alcohol social worker for a time in the Seattle area.
He married Diane Pelt on Sept. 26, 1977, at Winnemucca, Nev. The family then moved to Haines.
Mr. Hedrick worked for the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management as a firefighter before he returned to college at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario. He graduated from TVCC in 1983 with a degree in engineering.
The family moved to Hermiston in 1985 where he began working as an engineer for the Oregon Department of Transportation. He and his wife moved to Cove from Hermiston in 1990.
He greatly enjoyed his hobbies of fishing, shooting, sailing and camping. He will be remembered for his great sense of humor. He was a member of the Association of Engineering Employees.
Survivors include his wife, Diane Hedrick of Cove; a son and daughter-in-low, Jason and Marlee Hedrick of Spanaway, Wash.; a sister, Georgann Gulley of Beaverton and two grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Oregon Food Bank, or the Portland Rescue Mission through Loveland Funeral Chapel, 1508 Fourth St., La Grande, OR 97850.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, September 5, 2003
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor