Gene R Mead

Gene Richard Mead, 82, of Yankton, S.D., formerly of Sioux City, died Friday, Jan. 2, 2015, at Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota in Sioux Falls.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Larkin Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home in Sioux City. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be 6 to 7 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Gene was born on May 1, 1932, to Walter R. and Opal L. (Nash) Mead, in Sioux City. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1948 to 1952.
He returned to Sioux City and married the love of his life, Patricia A. Mongold, on May 19, 1952, in Luverne, Minn. Gene was a truck driver until his retirement.
He enjoyed spending time with family, camping, fishing, and hunting.
Gene is survived by his wife of 62 years, Pat Mead; his five children, Richard (Tracy) Mead of Storm Lake, Iowa, James Mead of Sioux City, Cynthia Mead of Yankton, S.D., Ronald (Colleen) Mead of Elk Point, S.D., and Shele (Joel) Anderson of Sioux City; 15 grandchildren, Rochelle Yocum, Walter Mead, Elizabeth Mead, Danny Sullivan, Shannon Sullivan, Christine Spaulding, Allison Mead, Jennifer Thode, Selina Anderson, Austin Anderson, Richie Gabel, Alethea Gabel, Christy Watkins, Randa Hoover, and Dustin Fox; 23 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Dolores Freeman, and Arlene Farley; and many nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents; and two brothers-in-law, William Freeman and Harold Farley.