Eugene
'Gene' Salazar
Eugene ‘Gene’ Salazar, Jr., 81, of Grand Island, died Thursday, March 22, 2012 at the Grand Island Veterans’ Home with his family at his side.
Service will be 9:30 a.m. Monday, March 26, at Grand Island Veterans’ Home
Chapel. Chaplain Bill Noer will officiate. Burial will follow
at 11:00 a.m. in Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery at Hastings with Military
Honors provided by U.S. Marine Corps and Hastings Honor Guard.
Visitation is one hour prior to service time. All Faiths Funeral Home is serving the family.
Those left to cherish his memory include his daughters and son-in-law, Penni and Dusty Holdeman and Cindi Salazar, all of Hastings and brothers, Donald Salazar of Hastings and Ronald Salazar of Chicago, IL.
He is also survived by four grandchildren, Talitha Wallace, Tabitha Holdeman, Sierra Salazar and Antonio Salazar and Uncle Jerry Lovejoy of Hastings.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 48 years, Jackie Salazar; son, Eugene Salazar III and an infant son, Paul Anthony Salazar.
Gene grew up and attended school in Chicago. When he was 17, he entered the United States Marine Corps. He was inducted December 13, 1951 and served during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged April 1, 1958.
Gene was united in marriage to Jackie Ross on September 18, 1956 in Hastings. The couple eventually made their home in Hastings where they owned and operated Gene’s Upholstery for 35 years. Gene retired in 2004.
Gene loved to work with his hands. He got his start in upholstery while working at Pioneer Village, and refurbished the interiors of the majority of the cars on display there. He enjoyed vintage and street rod car shows, refurbishing many of the vehicles’ interiors. His enjoyments included camping and fishing. Above all, he loved and lived for his family.
Memorials are suggested to the family.