Gene Gideon was born on 12 April 1936 in Aberdeen, WA to Henry Gideon and Myrtle Marguerite Patterson Gideon. He grew up in Centralia, WA. His father and uncles worked for the Northern Pacific railroad and from that Gene developed his lifelong love of trains.

After graduating from the University of Washington, Gene was drafted into the US Army in 1959. He did basic training at Fort Monmouth, NJ, and then was stationed at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville Alabama, where he trained in Ordnance Guided Missiles. He met and married Geraldine "Gerry" Pyron of Athens in Limestone county. They moved to Lompoc in 1967 where Gene worked for ITT / Federal Electric Corp as an electrical engineer supporting Vandenberg Air Force Base Western Test Range and Missile Tracking Systems for 38 years before retiring in 2004.

Gene and Gerry enjoyed their daily walks around Lompoc and are probably the only two people who can say they have walked every street in Lompoc. He was proud of his simple and unassuming lifestyle and shunned extravagance and spectacle. He was most happy just sitting on his porch drinking a beer and watching the world spin by.

Gene was a grand master at witty banter and a wizard of sarcasm.

Gene was a long time member of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, the Volga river region, the area his family emigrated from in 1908. All of Gene's grandparents and his oldest aunt were born there.

Gene is survived by his wife of 58 years Gerry, son Greg (Deborah) of Lompoc, daughter Gina of Maryland, and brother Rudy (Beverly) Gideon of Missoula, Montana, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Per Gene's wishes, a simple graveside service will be held at 10 am on Saturday, October 5 ^th at Lompoc cemetery. All those who knew Gene are welcome to attend.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to either the California State Railroad Museum (Californiarailroad.museum) or the Lompoc Firefighters Foundation ( lompocfirefightersfoundation.com )