Gene Marcum

Gene Alan Marcum was born in Chelsea on Aug. 18, 1934, to Henry and Lulu Mae Marcum.

He and his brother, Jim Marcum, were raised on the family dairy farm, instilling the handyman and honey-do mentality it took to keep things up and running efficiently.

While attending high school in Chelsea, Gene’s fondest memory was playing catcher on the baseball team. One of his most cherished teammates was the famous Ralph Terry, who later went to play for the New York Yankees in five World Series games and was starting pitcher for seven pennant-winning teams.

A close high school friend stated, “No one wanted to catch for Ralph, except Gene.” His “expertise” for catching was passed on to his sons and granddaughter, to which he always had an extra encouraging word ready, when needed.

It was during this time that Gene met his high school sweetheart and soon-to-be love of his life, Iris Ann Green.

The two were married on Dec. 24, 1955, and together had four children, Kavin, David, Melody and Marsha.

Gene had become a licensed plumber after graduating from Chelsea in 1953 and soon changed careers upon being offered a job within Phillips Petroleum in 1962.

During his time at Phillips, he worked in multiple states, including Wyoming, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Gene moved his family to Elkhart, Kan., in 1966 and became the president of the All-Sports Club and an avid fan of his sons’ high school football team.

He soon stepped in as the statistician for their Friday night games.

In 1977, Gene was relocated to Kingfisher with his wife and ultimately retired from Phillips in February 1995 after a dedicated career span of 33 years.

Gene had many personal loves and hobbies throughout his life, including bowling, hunting and fishing with his family and close friends.

If there was anything Gene loved as much as his wife, it was being outdoors.

Pheasant and quail hunting were passions starting from early times with his two sons, Kavin and David. Eventually his sons-in-law and grandsons went on their excursions.

Another favorite time of Gene’s was taking his beloved boat out on the lake any chance he could with several of his good friends. It was common to call the Marcum household and hear Iris answer to say Gene was out fishing again.

Even a couple of weeks before his passing, he was remembered to say “I need to get this boat out of my backyard, it is too tempting.”

Other days were spent tending to his yard and keeping everything in top shape, from mowing the grass to mending his fence.

Gene enjoyed spending his time working out of his small shop in the backyard. He was keen to see the return of his Purple Martins from year to year.

He even cherished his magical green thumb in bringing his parents’ transplanted peonies back for another season of blooming for him and his wife to enjoy.

Additionally, if you knew Gene, you knew of his passion for the OU Sooners football team.

He was a proud season ticket holder for 18 years. He made sure to never miss a game, whether live or later watching one of his many recorded games for playback and provide analysis of each player and point, from his favorite armchair.

Often at home, he would wear his headphones to listen to the local radio broadcast of the game while watching on the TV at the same time.

As most would know, playback can be a bit delayed through TV versus radio and Gene could not hold back from shouting in celebration.

The rest of the family would have to wait for the delayed play on screen.

This too carried into a great love for attending his grandchildren and great- grandchildren’s sporting events from the sidelines.

He couldn’t have been prouder of them all.

As the years passed, and Iris began to decline in health, Gene never left her side and began caring for her with the deepest affection and devotion that only made their almost 65 years of marriage all the more meaningful to him and to those who were witness to its depth.

Many had shared with Gene how they greatly admired his care for her, and it will forever be remembered by his family in Iris’ last days.

After she passed on Sept. 23, 2021, Gene became an avid supporter of the Grief Share Ministry at First Baptist Church, often attending the group meetings.

His witness in that ministry soon led several others to enroll in the program. There they found collective support in their grieving process as well.

It was through his faith that Gene lived his life and where he acted from. His church family was a great pillar to him. He cherished and remained in constant gratitude for those friendships and tremendous support.

He enjoyed each moment of chance encounters throughout the Kingfisher community with them. Even in a room full of people, Gene would make sure you knew how uniquely special you were to him, whether he was the father, grandfather, brother, or friend to you.

His boisterous laugh and arm around the shoulder were unmistakable and felt by all.

Most important to Gene was his great love of family, it was wide and unconditional; the same was returned to him by those who affectionately called him “Papa.”

Gene passed peacefully in his home, surrounded by his family on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Lulu Mae Marcum; brother, Jim Marcum; son, David Marcum; and his beloved wife, Iris Marcum.

Gene is survived by his children and their spouses: Kavin and Kim Marcum of Tyler, Texas; Melody and Paul Boeckman of Tulsa; and Marsha and Jim Mueggenborg of Kingfisher.

Gene also leaves behind his grandchildren: Hailey and Mitchell Weigt, Brittany Marcum, Niki and Greg Black, Jamie and Dustin Griffin, Tanner and Carrie Mueggenborg, Cody and Chelsea Broyles, Cole and Erin Broyles, and Brooke Marcum.

Genehas12great-grandchildren and a host of nieces and nephews, dear friends and church family who were very dear to his and his wife’s hearts.

The family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the First Baptist Church family and grief sharing team for their loving support, prayers, meals, and acts of kindness.

A very special thanks goes to the staff at Russell- Murray Hospice for their compassion and exceptional care.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial gifts in Gene Marcum’s honor to First Baptist Church of Kingfisher or Russell-Murray Hospice.

A service to honor the life of Gene was Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the Kingfisher First Baptist Church. Burial followed in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Claremore.

Services were under the direction of Wilson Funeral Home-Kingfisher.