Marion "Gene" Eugene Yearian

Marion "Gene" Eugene Yearian, Jr., 63, of Murphysboro, Illinois, passed away at 1:11 p.m.Sunday, April 3, 2016, in Carbondale Memorial Hospital due to complications from diabetes. Gene was born on June 17, 1952, in Murphysboro, Illinois, the first-born son of Marion E. Yearian and Lola (Steele) Yearian. He served in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged as a Military Police Officer at Ft. Wainwright, Alaska. He was the first in his family to obtain a Bachelor's Degree, and worked as a satellite programmer for Space Imaging in Norman, Oklahoma for many years. After his job was downsized, he returned to Southern Illinois and worked in the Plumbing Department at Wright's Building Center, as an inspector at Western Egyptian Cooperative, and he was a substitute teacher, before he became disabled. He was divorced and did not have any children. He is survived by ten brothers and sisters, "Cap'n Ron" Yearian, Joyce (Yearian) Schemonia (and her husband Ron), Bruce Griffin, Dave Griffin, Jess Griffin, Dan Griffin, Mark Griffin, Darlene (Griffin) Tellor, Tracy (Griffin) Johnson, and Rosemary (Griffin) Schemonia. He is also survived by multiple nieces and nephews, including two close nephews and their families, Travis Yearian and Joey Schemonia. He is also survived by a close friend, Dianne Preston, who spent many hours with him learning to play chess and listening to his stories. His family is thankful for the love and care he received from the employees and residents of Big Muddy River-to-River Assisted Living "home", where he lived with his "other" family and was a member of several committees and enjoyed life to its fullest. He was preceded in death by a brother, Bobby Joe Griffin, his father and step-mother, Gene and Mary (Nicholls) Yearian, his mother and step-father, Lola and David M. Griffin, and his grandparents, Frederick Franklin and Emily (Lungwitz) Yearian, and Jesse and Mina (Brewer) Steele. His body will be cremated and cremains will be buried in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, on the same gravesite where his father is buried. A memorial service will be held at a later date at Lake Murphysboro, his favorite fishing hole. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Big Muddy Resident's Activity Fund, River to River Assisted Living, 5 N. Shawnee Dr., Murphysboro, IL 62966. For more information, please visit www.pettettfuneralhome.com.

Marion "Gene" Eugene Yearian

June 17, 1952 - April 3, 2016