Eugene “Geno” T. Houston Jr. passed away July 27, 2024, at his home in Amargosa Valley, Nev., as a result of the excessive heat in that area.

Gene was born to Eugene T. and ClaraBelle Houston on Jan. 3, 1953 in Burns, missing becoming the New Year’s baby by a few minutes that year. 

He was raised in Burns attending elementary and secondary schools, graduating from Burns Union High School in 1971. He participated in junior varsity football, but wrestling was his favorite sport.  He lettered three years in the wrestling program taking a district championship his senior year and was one of nine wrestlers from Burns that qualified to compete at the state tournament in Corvallis in 1971.

After high school graduation he attended Oregon State University in Corvallis while working for the Forest Service during summer break as a fire crew boss stationed out of Bates, Ore. He graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. While at OSU, he met Pat Downing in a weight lifting class and became member No.1 when Pat started a Gold’s Gym, eventually with three locations in Corvallis.  Geno was very proud of the fact that he was member No. 1 and worked out daily at the gym on his way home from his shift at Hewlett Packard, working as a process technician in the printer division for over 22 years.  Geno competed in powerlifting competitions into his 60’s.

Geno decided he wanted to start a mobile welding business and even though he knew how to weld, he decided to go back to school to become a certified welder.  Attending Linn Benton Community College he passed certifications and earned an Associate of Science degree in Welding Technology to start Geno’s Mobile Welding.

He remained in the Corvallis/Philomath area for many years, returning to Eastern Oregon to elk hunt with friends and the high desert area around Fields/ Denio to bird hunt.

He always enjoyed the outdoors, whether exploring in his Jeep or riding his Harley. He enjoyed local history, learning about and exploring several ghost towns in Nevada. He purchased property in Nevada before retiring and moving there in 2019.

He was a 10+year member of the Order of the Antelope, a men’s fraternal organization that supports wildlife conservation at the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in Lake County.

Geno is preceded in death by his grandparents, his parents, and uncle Rev. Jim Parker.  He is survived by his sister, Gail (Mike) Faulhaber of Burns; niece, Stacia Faulhaber and sons of Beaverton; nephew, Severin Faulhaber of Mich; aunt, Marion Parker of Calif.; several cousins and former business partner and longtime friend, Dale Trautman of Philomath.