Woodward County Obituary
Elmwood Cemetery

© Billings Funeral Home
WOODWARD, WOODWARD CO, OK
(permission granted)
Submitted by: Ann Weber

Eugene C. Fitzgerald

October 21, 1922 ~ April 4, 2019

Eugene C. Fitzgerald passed away Thursday, April 4, 2019, at the age of 96. Graveside funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at the Elmwood Cemetery with the United States Air Force providing military rites. Arrangements are under the direction of the Billings Funeral Home, Woodward, Oklahoma.

Born October 21, 1922, in Woodward, Oklahoma, he was the son of D.L. and Zelma Fitzgerald. The second of seven children, he graduated from Woodward High School in 1940. After the family moved to Norman, Oklahoma, in the summer of 1940 he worked as a clerk at the McCall and Birchum Cash Grocery store. In December 1942 he enlisted in the Army Air Force and served with the 16th Weather Squadron in Alaska attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. Following his World War II service, in December of 1946 Eugene returned to Norman, Oklahoma, and attended the University of Oklahoma. Upon graduating in June of 1950 with a bachelor’s degree in Geology, he began work for Phillips Petroleum. He started his career in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, working to find gas and oil reserves in the Gulf of Mexico. He then lived in Denver, Colorado, and Anchorage, Alaska, continuing to work in the company’s exploration ventures. In 1972, he was promoted to Vice President of Exploration and lived the next ten years in London, England, exploring gas and oil reserves in the North Sea and off the coast of Africa. Eugene retired August 1, 1985, and settled in Sheridan, Wyoming. There he lived for the next thirty-three years enjoying fly fishing in the many lakes of the Big Horn mountains, raising horses, and tending to his property.

Family members who preceded him in death are D.L. Fitzgerald (father), Zelma Fitzerald (mother), Louise Peterson (sister), Thelma Jo Tresner (sister), Kenneth Fitzgerald (brother), Donald Fitzgerald (brother), Paul Fitzgerald (brother), Paulene Blachly (sister), and Gary Blachly (nephew).

Having never married, Eugene is survived by nieces and nephews, Bob Dresser, Jolynda Holmes, Kim Kriel, Mike Fitzgerald, Gayle Owens, Steve Fitzgerald, Jim Tresner, Dan Fitzgerald, Tim Fitzgerald, John Tresner, Susan Dobry, Cindy Pride and great-nieces and nephews, Melanie Holder, Heather Dresser, Erinn Carter, JF Holmes, Kimberly King, Allison Kockos, Daniel Owens, Doug Dresser, Tara Tresner-Kirsch, Jerry Holmes, Kelsie Divine, John Fitzgerald, Joe Cotrone, Katie Fitzgerald, Madison Pride, Becky Fitzgerald, Jessie Fitzgerald, James Tresner, Kirk Fitzgerald, Daniel Kriel, Kevin Cotrone, and Jonathan Pride.