Wilmer Jean "Gene" Florence

Wilmer Jean (Gene) Florence was born to Wilmer Henry Florence and Mabel May Wilkinson on January 8, 1927, on the kitchen table of his grandmother’s cabin in East Millcreek Utah.

His youth was during the midst of the depression. He was the eldest of 5 brothers and 7 sisters. As a child he lived in a small 2 room house his father built. There they spent many days living off only bread and milk without enough money to keep the power on. Times were hard and he began work at a young age to help support his family. After school, he would go to the next-door neighbors who let him listen to “Little Orphan Annie” on their radio. He played marbles, kick the can, hunted, fished and got into trouble. He was fond of accompanying his grandfather who made deliveries for Sugar House Lumber Co.

By the age of twelve he began to spend his summers as a ranch hand on his uncle’s ranch I the Unita Basin. He grew into a seasoned cowboy and traveled working various ranches in Utah and Wyoming until serving in the 42nd infantry division in WWII. He attended basic training at Fort Hood Texas. He arrived at La Havre France and eventually served in Austria. There he served as a driver for he O.S.S. and various generals that oversaw the region, the most notable being General Mark Clark.

After he returned home, he worked for Park City Consolidated Mines, including the Silver King, Ontario, Judge and the Daly West. After seeing “old timers” coughing from silicosis on the steps of the Miners Hospital and having nearly succumbing to a cave in at shift change, he began attending Salt Lake Community College to become a welder under the G.I. Bill.

During this time at Kimball Junction Café, he met a waitress, Beverly Claire Goff, the love of his life. They were married on August 26, 1947.

He was later hired by General Electric and quickly excelled in his career. Gene held more welding qualifications than anyone in all G.E. and traveled around the world, including Argentina, Canada, Japan, Mexico, and Venezuela to work in nuclear power plants primarily on steam turbines.

Gene used the status of his job and the kindness of his heart to secure jobs for others who were still working in the mines of Park City. During his career he made many good friends at G.E. including Germans that fought him just a few years before. Towards the time of his retirement, he grew tired of traveling away from his family and took on the position of head foreman of the General Electric Service Shop in Salt Lake City. Ten years after his retirement, he and his wife moved from Park City after 50+ years to Heber City where it reminded them of how Park City once was.

Between work and during retirement Gene spent most of his time outdoors. He was a man with a passion for hunting, fishing, and horses, especially when accompanied by family and friends. He spent many summers at Lake Powell with his family on a houseboat he had proudly helped construct and welded every part of.

Those who knew Gene, knew he was a man with a striking wit and a great sense of humor. He was tough, blunt, with a no-nonsense attitude and a heart you could only envy. He could convey more emotion and meaning in a few words or even just a look than you would think possible.

Gene passed peacefully on July 20, 2024. His wife Beverly followed soon after passing on Gene’s birthday January 8, 2025. Gene is survived by two daughters Jan Denney and Leigh Ann Taylor; 9 grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren; one great-great grandchild; sisters, Claudia Bragg, Marian Wright, Kathleen Hanson, Martha Lauritzen. He is preceded in death by his three sons, Blaine, Steven, and Calvin Florence; siblings, Betty, Edith, Lila, Tom, Val, George, and Larry.

A graveside service including a Military Honor Guard will be held on June 14th at 11am at the Park City Cemetery.