A warrior until the end, Gene Baylous Seals passed away at Home Place in Oak Harbor, Wash., Jan. 9, 2015. Born Jan. 30, 1922 in Hobart, Okla., his life began at the time of the Dust Bowl and poverty. In the third grade, his family pulled him out of school to pick cotton and follow the crops between Texas and Arizona, doing what they could to survive. Gene joined the CC Camp at the age of 17, and when he was able, the Army. In 1941, his first duty was at Fort Lewis, where he was shipped out to North Africa. Getting caught in a booby trap, his leg was shot and he received his first Purple Heart.
From there, with his leg patched up, he was back in the Infantry under General Patton, where he was sent to the frontlines in the Battle of the Bulge. Christmas day, 1944, Gene was shot again, and when he came to, was in a hospital in England. Because he did not have enough points, he was sent back to active duty. He was involved in freeing the last of the Holocaust survivors and witnessed the horrid evidence of those not so lucky
In 1947, while stationed at Fort Lawton in Seattle, Gene was attending a dance and met the love of his life, Margaret Wildes. They were married Dec. 27, 1947. In 1950, Gene was sent to Korea, where, again, God was watching out for him when he narrowly avoided capture. Gene’s world travels continued as he was asked to go on a military mission to Holland.
He continued to be stationed in different places, back to Washington and during the Cuban Crisis was sent to Florida to have the Nike missiles ready to launch. The day after he put in for retirement, he received orders to Vietnam but chose to load up his family and return to Whidbey Island and the property on Wildes Road in Clinton. Not being a man to sit around, he went to work at Watermans Mill and in 1966 went to work for the Island County Road Department, where he retired in 1982.
Gene was not idle in his retirement, spending his days cutting wood and delivering many cords around the island, gardening to supply the neighbors with corn and raspberries and always ready to launch his boat and catch a salmon. He was a 32 degree Mason and member of the Nile, American Legion and VFW. He was a gentleman till the day he died, with a strong faith in Our Lord. He will be missed.
Gene is survived by his wife of 67 years; two daughters, Margaret (Ed) Rieckelman, of Yakima, and Patty (Scott) Blouin, of Coupeville; three grandchildren, Parker Rieckelman, of Richland, Emily Ouhl, of Napavine, and Sharlie (Seth) Tassie, of Coupeville; stepgranddaughter Amy Rieckelman, of Los Angeles; and numerous nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations are given to the Bayview Senior Center of Island County and Whidbey General Hospice.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, at Visser Funeral Home, 432 Third St., in Langley, Wash. A family graveside service will be held earlier that morning at 10 a.m.
