Eugene 'Gene' S. Blue

Eugene S. "Gene" Blue, 79, of Sioux City passed away March 23, 2013 at a local hospital.
Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Morningside Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home. Private family committal will be held at a later date, with military rites.
Gene was born on April 21, 1934, in Sioux City, to Sherman and Inez (Kelso) Blue. Gene served in the U.S. Navy as a ship gunner on the USS Los Angeles and the USS Baltimore in combat missions from 1952 to 1955.
Gene married Norma Ryan on May 20, 1978, in Correctionville, Iowa. He worked in Maricopa County in Arizona, the city of Sioux City, several years at IPS/Mid American Energy and for a year at Nelson-Berger Funeral Home. Gene then did maintenance work at Boys and Girls Home.
He enjoyed history, was an avid collector of many items, and was very patriotic.
Survivors include his wife, Norma Blue; daughters, Connie Roth, Gina Leftwich, Dorene Becker, Tracy Detches, and Joanne Kinnaman; son, Donald Thomason; grandchildren Taylor Roth, Miles Roth, LeRoy Leftwich Jr., Joshua Leftwich, Anthony Harder, Thomas Becker, Jacob Becker, Brandon Detches, Nicole Detches, Bradley Kinnaman, Payton Kinnaman, Daniel Thomason, and Nicholas Thomason; and great-grandchildren Chloe Leftwich, Emma Leftwich, Kaytlin Harder, Dylan Harder, and Jagger Becker.
He was preceded in death by his parents; grandson, Daniel Thomason; infant granddaughters; sisters, Geraldine, Arlene, and Darlene; and a brother, Ralph.