Wilburn Eugene “Gene” Renegar, 82, of Shawnee, OK, died peacefully in his sleep, Oct. 7, 2021.
Gene was born March 4, 1939, in Shawnee, OK, to Wilburn Renegar and Ethel Mae Ziegler Renegar.
He attended Washington Grade School, where his mother was the lunch lady known for her famous peanut butter bars. He spent his childhood running the river, getting into all kinds of mischief with his buddies.
In 1957, he graduated from Shawnee High School, where he excelled at auto mechanics. He grew up in church, first at Calvary Baptist Church before becoming a life-long member of Immanuel Baptist Church.
Gene was drafted into the United States Army in 1960, where he spent a year stationed in Seoul, Korea, before his discharge in 1963. When he returned home, he met and married the love of his life, Linda Taylor, Dec. 9, 1966. The two welcomed his only daughter, Vonda Kay Renegar, in 1969.
After his service, he began his career at Tinker Air Force Base, where he worked for 33 years until his retirement in 1996. Once he retired, Gene’s favorite hobby was his motorcycle. He could often be spotted cruising around town, enjoying a beautiful breeze any time he could. He also worked several part-time jobs at Sears, Graves Floral, and Arvest Bank, where he met many friends.
Gene was a proud member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and enjoyed opportunities to explore his genealogy.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Wilburn and Mae Renegar.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Linda Taylor Renegar; his daughter, Vonda Renegar Muirhead, and son-in-law Tim Muirhead, of Tecumseh; two grandchildren, Macy and Colton Muirhead; his favorite little dog, Gypsy Rose; his sister Sharon Kay Smith, of Shawnee; his sister-and-brother-in-law, Carol and Bobby Danner, of Shawnee; his sister-and-brother-in-law, Judy and Quinton Bland, of Mesa, AZ; his sister-and-brother-in-law, Anita and David Ledford, of Russellville, AR; his brother-and-sister-in-law, Richard and Jeanette Taylor, of Edmond, OK; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.
Public memorial services were held Oct. 12, 2021, at Immanuel Baptist Church in Shawnee with Reverend Todd Fisher, Immanuel Baptist Church officiating, under the direction of Cooper Funeral Home of Tecumseh. The celebration of Gene’s life was also live-streamed through Cooper Funeral Home’s Facebook page.
