Gene Elbert Tye

Hillsboro, OH - Gene E. Tye, 96, passed away on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Gene was born in Barboursville, KY to Elbert and Mamie Tye on September 30, 1926. In 1943, at only 17 years of age, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard and served proudly and honorably during WWII rising to the rank of Seaman First Class. His war service included duty on patrol frigates such as the U.S.S. Dearborn whose mission was to protect and secure U.S. waterway interests in the North Atlantic between the U.S. coast line and Eastern Europe. For his service he was awarded the United States WWII service medal, the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the United States American Campaign Medal.

After WWII, using the GI Bill, he pursued technical skill training in Chicago, IL where he completed certification as an apprentice electrician. After acquiring his certification, he moved to Dayton to be near his family who had moved to there during the war years. His employment in the Dayton area included working for some of the biggest manufacturing plants of the day to include the Inland Corporation and the McCall's Printing Corporation where he worked seventeen years as a journeyman electrician until 1967. When McCall's business began to decline in the late sixties, he took employment with GM owned business, such as Frigidaire, and finally with Delco Products until he retired in 1985. He was a lifelong member of the International Union of Electricians 755 and a third degree mason.

Gene was well known by family and friends as a modern day "renaissance" man of sorts, demonstrating a lifelong penchant for self acquired knowledge, invention, and do-it-yourself innovation. He rebuilt vintage vehicles including a 1926 Ford Model-T sedan and later, a 1931 Chevrolet Coupe. He acquired numerous antique clocks and brought them back to working life through his own self-taught mastery of inner clock workings. When he was unable to find a replacement part, he simply made his own.

A lifelong gardener, he loved to grow his own vegetables and fruits, often times delighting neighbors with an abundance of free, fresh garden lettuce, beans, cucumbers, cabbage, and tomatoes. He canned much of his produce, and often times created his own unusual and unique flavors. The results of which he would enjoy serving up to family, friends, or anyone bold enough to sample.

In the 1990s, he and his wife, Marie, moved to the Hillsboro area to live a simple country life near Rocky Fork Lake where he could tend a garden and fish. In his latter years, he took up art as a hobby and enrolled in art courses to learn acrylic painting techniques. He painted constantly and with a zestful inspiration that produced many compositions of wildlife and countryside scenes, many of which gained local notoriety and award recognition.

He was predeceased by his parents; his sisters, Jewell Theobald, and June Chepel; his brothers, Thomas Tye and Joseph W. Tye, and his daughter, Julie A. Stricker.

He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Marie K. Tye, of Hillsboro, OH; daughter Linda M. Tye, of Hillsboro, OH; son, Stephen C. Tye, of Sumter, SC; granddaughters, Jessica M. Tye-McLeod, of Sumter, SC, and Jennifer C. Tye, of Charlotte, NC; grandsons, Andrew P. Stricker, of Tacoma, Washington, Scott J. Stricker, of Denver, CO, and Eric. W. Tye, of Columbus, NC; great grandchildren Ryland J. and Madelyn K. McLeod, of Sumter, SC; sister, Shirley Craig of Wilmington, NC and, numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, please send your kind donations in honor of Gene E. Tye to: Peace Lutheran Church, 231 Harry Sauner Rd. Hillsboro, Oh 45133.