Fire boat Pilot – Fire Station 49
Deceased:
12/26/2020
Appointed:
12/19/1955
Pensioned:
09/13/1990 – FS49
Services:
TBA
Donations:
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, PLEASE SEND DONATIONS TO:
Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund
PO BOX 41903
Los Angeles, CA 90041
It has been my honor and a gift to walk alongside Gene for the last 5+ years.
A true GENTLEMAN!!! Gene always expressed kindness and appreciation to wholeheartedly acknowledge every caregiver, EMT, nurse and doctor that has helped him along the way.
Gene’s athletic ability of a great skier and tennis player gave him the strength to overcome his health setbacks. That drive enabled him to walk again twice. He could have not accomplished that without the care of the our sisters and brothers of the LAFD family. A special THANK YOU to Jan Dreiling for her work to get him motoring. Her visits and attention to his well-being were special. We thank him for sharing the many stories of his 94 years of living. He has been a great, real-life history lesson, a caregiving education, along with laughter, joy and love!!!!
May God bless him as he travels to heaven to be with Marty
Rachel…You made his last remaining years so much fun. Your attention to his care and well-being made such an incredible difference in his life.
I will miss all the stories and cups of coffee with Gene. His was definitely a life well-lived!
Jan
I had the honor of working with Gene at FS 49 before being transferred to Boat 1. He was the Greatest Gentleman Firefighter Mate I have ever had the pleasure of working with…he was also a pretty darn good snow skier! I lived in a Motorhome (which is another story) and one day decided to take the crew Snow Skiing. We all left from the Fire Station and out to the mountains for the day. Watching Gene ski was like watching a man own the mountain. One of the things I liked most about FS 49 was the projects…and there were many! Gene came in one day with his portable welder and I was amazed at how well it was maintained (I actually asked him to will it to me). But that is how Gene was…everything running smoothly and at full power. That was how he worked with the crew as well…Smoothly…and Full Power! You never had to question Gene’s intent…and you could never go wrong with his words of wisdom. RIP my Brother. Your flame forever burns in my heart.
John Lee
When time time to gather arises, I will have a service to celebrate his journey.
The Cullys send condolences to the family and friends of Eugene Murphy.
My late father, Chief Douglas Cully and my mother, Katharyn, were both friends of Eugene.
While on the LAFD, my father had the good fortune of working with Eugene and often spoke highly of him; they had much in common since both spent time working in the Los Angeles Harbor.
My mother recalls fond memories of growing up with Eugene; from the age of five to eighteen, she and Eugene were next-door neighbors. She recently shared some of her childhood memories with me.
Since my mother and Eugene were only a year apart in age, together they attended 74th Street Elementary School, Horace Mann Junior High School, and George Washington High School.
Time after school, weekends and summer vacations were often spent playing Kick the Can, Cops and Robbers, Hide and Go Seek, and baseball. In fact, my mother will never forget one particular baseball game; she pitched a ball to Eugene and he, in turn, smacked a line drive, hitting my mother in the nose. Evidently, Eugene had a mean swing for a ten year old and my mother will always remember that game!
My maternal grandfather was a car enthusiast and, from what my mother says, at an early age so was Eugene. My grandfather was always inventing something auto-related in the garage and Eugene used to spend time helping him. One such project was a kid-sized electric car that was a hit among the neighborhood children . . . my mother and Eugene enjoyed many hours riding along neighborhood sidewalks.
Eugene’s father worked for the Los Angeles Times and one day brought home a brand new Chevrolet. Considering that this was in the middle of the Great Depression, it was the talk of the neighborhood. My mother remembers Eugene’s mother driving both Eugene and her on a scenic trip to what was then known as Moonstone Beach in Playa del Rey. To this day, my mother still remembers being ten years old and enjoying the fun of riding in that brand new car!
Both of my parents often said that Eugene was a great, great guy.
May he rest in peace.