Trying to add a payment method? You can do this on the Eugene “Gene” Organ passed away on October 10, 2026. Gene was born in Iowa City, Iowa, on August 21, 1947, to Mildred Swalley and Clement Organ. He was the youngest of six children.
He grew up in Parnell, Iowa, and graduated from Williamsburg High School in 1965. Gene attended the University of Iowa, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history. He went on to work as the director of Head Start in Iowa.
Gene later returned to school and earned a graduate degree from the University of Oregon.
He served as the executive director of the Oregon State Disabilities Commission, where he worked alongside others to advocate for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Gene was invited to and attended the signing of the ADA in Washington, D.C. He was also a founding member of Lane Independent Living Alliance in Eugene, where he worked for many years.
Gene was a member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church. His deep faith was the driving force behind his desire to help others.
A geographer at heart, Gene enjoyed traveling and would spend hours researching and cataloging places around the world. He loved good food and was an amazing chef. He was also a huge sports fan, especially of the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Oregon Ducks. He often referred to himself as a “Duckeye.”
Above all, Gene was a devoted family man. He enjoyed schooling his family in Trivial Pursuit and absolutely adored his grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father; his sisters, Dolores and Janet; and his brothers, Pat and Cecil.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Lucinda; his three children, Erycka, Eryn (James Brown), and Calyn (Helen Bollinger); and his five grandchildren, Darien Lewis-Rohde (Brandt Lewis), Katrina Baker, Alena Organ, Aibhilin Brown, and Read Brown.
Services will be held at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, located at 1850 Emerald Street in Eugene, on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Mass will begin at 11:00 a.m., followed by a celebration of life.
