Eugene "Gene" John Streller
1938-2023
Eugene "Gene" Streller, beloved husband, father, and papa, passed away peacefully on March 26, 2023, with family by his side. He was 85.
Gene was born on March 3, 1938, in Perry, OK. He was the first of four children of John and Dorothy Streller. He spent his childhood working on his family farm and exploring the great outdoors.
After graduating from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Gene met Mary Bullis. They married in 1965 and went on to have three children, Scott, Kristi, and Gina. Gene made a career as a Civilian Mechanical Engineer at Tinker Air Force Base for nearly 40 years.
During his generous and industrious life, Gene made family his life. From playing bridge with Mary, building tree houses, skipping rocks in the creek, and having long talks about operas and musicals or quantum theory and DNA, to building a tennis court for his family, discussing how to properly set every setting on every type of camera, and being an always-on-call driver for anyone who needed to get to practice, school, or Braum's, he was eager to be involved. He often would write letters to his children when they were in college. It was never easy to read his handwriting, but it was always a joy to receive the usually 2-3 sentence note, often accompanied by a comic he had cut out of the newspaper.
Gene loved his grandkids, and they each have a unique bond with him. Whatever they were into, he was there, ready to support them in every way he could. He explored STEM topics with Read, from chemistry to physics to rocket science, and went hunting, fishing, and got into all kinds of outdoor activities with David. He had a unique admiration for horses and photography with Mary Kate, and he and Sarah used their brilliant minds and imaginations to explore the cosmos. He loved talking to Luke about tennis and basketball, and he was so proud of the strong person Alex was becoming. His face lit up so brightly when Adam gave him hugs.
Gene's faith also was a top priority. He made sure his family traveled to see as much of the world as possible, never missing Mass even while on vacation. But more pertinent than that, he was a consummate example of doing selfless acts for others, no matter the inconvenience or difficulty it might cause him.
Gene is survived by his wife of 57 years, Mary; and his children: son, Scott and daughter-in-law, Shannon Streller (Edmond); daughter, Kristi Smith (The Woodlands, TX); and daughter, Gina and son-in-law Neil Hasty (Tulsa). He also leaves behind 7 adoring grandchildren: Read, David, Mary Kate, and Sarah Streller, and Junior Nsengiyumva; Luke and Alexandra Smith; and Adam Hasty. He is also survived by his brothers, Johnny (Mary Lee) Streller and Gerald (Judy) Streller, and sister, Mariann Moery.
There will be a Rosary and Prayer Vigil held on Friday, March 31 from 6–8 p.m., at Matthews Funeral Home (601 S. Kelly, Edmond, OK). Funeral Mass will be Saturday, April 1 at 11 a.m., at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (900 S. Littler Ave., Edmond, OK).
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Catholic Charities of Oklahoma City.
Live streaming: https://youtube.com/live/aeYiqLRvUSc?feature=share