Mr. Golden was born May 28, 1949, to Eugene J. Golden, Jr. and Glorianne (McGinn) Golden in Chicago, Illinois. He married Brenda L. Brown on June 10, 1972, in Carbondale, Illinois. He was preceded in death by his mother, and is survived by his wife of nearly 46 years, three children, two grandchildren; a brother Christopher Golden and a cousin, both of Chicago.
Gene played football for, and graduated from, Mendel Catholic High School, Chicago, in 1968 and attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale for a year, which didn’t suit him. He then attended Fox Business College in Chicago for two years, acquiring an associate’s degree.
Mr. Golden loved to play golf until his health prevented him; he continued loving to watch it on television; as well as other sports, especially football. He also loved bowling and bowled for many years in the Men’s League in Nevada, with his wife in the couple’s league, and in the Adult/Child League, until his health prevented him from doing so.
Gene worked a variety of jobs throughout his adult life. He worked for an executive of a railroad for a number of months, then worked for a vacuum company at its home office in Chicago. After marriage, he moved to Carbondale, Illinois and worked first as a gas station attendant, then as a shoe store manager. He and his wife moved to Nevada, Missouri in 1973 and he worked first as a groundskeeper at Nevada Country Club, then at the Sheldon Cheese Factory. He, in turn, worked for a photography company selling portraits, for a snack and chip company as a route salesman, as an advertising representative for KNEM/KNMO radio in Nevada, then for Tapjac/Barton’s Lumber in Nevada. During that job he developed COPD and retired after several years, on disability. He left this life as a result of that disease.
Though he was raised in Catholicism, he made a personal choice to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and became a member of First Baptist Church of Nevada. He grew in faith and trust in our Lord especially after becoming disabled. Gene was devoted to his family, especially to his grandchildren.
Mr. Golden is survived by his wife, son and daughters, James W. Golden, Amber Golden and Christi Good and her husband Eric; his brother Christopher Golden of Chicago, two grandchildren – Emrys and Amarah; several nieces and nephews, and one cousin.
Family visitation will be Sunday, March11 at Ferry Funeral Home, at 4:00 p.m.
Services are to be held at Ferry Funeral Home, Nevada, Missouri at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, March 12, 2018, with Rev. Hubert Fox officiating. Interment will follow in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery east of Nevada, near Dederick, Missouri.
Memorials are suggested in his memory to the First Baptist Church in c/o Ferry Funeral Home.
