Gene Kawahara passed away on Thursday, April 4, 2024, at the age of 75 years after a battle with cancer. He was born in Fort William, Thunder Bay, Ontario, to Tom and Yoshiko Kawahara.
Gene moved west to British Columbia, where he met his wife, Terry. They settled in Quesnel on an acreage, where they had two horses that they enjoyed riding. He built a career as a Parts Manager, volunteered at the local Elks club and as a Firefighter.
In 1989, they moved to Red Deer, Alberta, with their two sons, Mat and Miki. Gene’s career as a Parts Manager continued. He took a lot of pride and pleasure in his job well done, networking with people and using his connections to benefit the company he worked for and the people he worked with.
When Gene wasn’t working, he spent hours at the golf course with his sons. His other favorite hobbies included fly fishing, shooting guns, and watching Jays baseball. For his 70th birthday, his family surprised him with a trip to Thunder Bay and Toronto to see the Jays and spend time with his extended family.
He was committed to the success of his children in their endeavors and often took time off work to volunteer when they had events or projects on the go, and spent countless hours working with them, especially after he retired. He loved watching his grandchildren participate in sports of every kind.
Family was especially important to Gene and he will be deeply missed by the many friends and family members that he leaves behind. There will be no funeral at Gene’s request, but a Celebration of Life gathering will be held on Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Springfield Crossing Community Hall, 11 Jenkins Drive, Red Deer, Alberta; from 2:00 p.m to 6:00 p.m, for those who would like to drop in and spend some time remembering Gene’s life. Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed at www.parklandfuneralhome.com

Parkland Funeral Home and Crematorium (Red Deer)

6287 – 67 A Street (Taylor Drive), Red Deer. 403.340.4040.

ONLY LOCALLY FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED FUNERAL HOME/CREMATORIUM

IN THE CITY OF RED DEER

• Date : 2024-04-13
• Location : (Red Deer) Locally Family Owned (Red Deer/Blackfalds/Eckville) www.ParklandFuneralHome.com & (Innisfail/Olds/Didsbury/Sundre) www.HeartlandFuneralServices.com