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Saturday, September 13, 2014

Gene Lorenz 1928-2014

Gene Lorenz passed away Wednesday afternoon. He had just turned 86. Worked for our company 27 years but retired in 84, before I started in 87. Since then, up until Wednesday, he repped several steel suppliers - including one I buy from. He never retired. Over the years he sold us over one million stainless step plates for the EZGO golf car. 

While a student at Tech he was editor of the school newspaper, and used to travel to out of town football games to file reports. Told stories of sitting next to Frank Broyles in the press box.  He had season tickets for football and basketball for 50 years, and finally stopped a couple of years ago. When I’d go to a game with him it seemed like everyone would greet him. His football seats were next to Frank Mayer, the jeweler. 

Gene and his wife Ann would take Ceil and me to productions at Georgia Shakespeare at Oglethorpe. He had inoperable cancer and had taken a turn for the worse a week or so ago. His obituary is attached. As big a Tech fan as Gene-o was, I can’t believe his funeral is during the Tech game.

Here’s his obituary:

Eugene E. Lorenz passed away peacefully Wednesday, September 10th. A Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, 1350 Hearst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30319, on Saturday, September 13th at 12:30 p.m. Family will be receiving visitors prior to the mass in the narthex of the church at 11:30 a.m. A private interment will be held at Georgia National Cemetery at a later date.

Gene was born in Wauwatosa, WI, September 6, 1928. He attended St. Bernard’s Grade School, Longfellow Junior High, and graduated from Winter Park High School. Gene was the youngest of four brothers and one sister—Bob, Ray, Fran, Dick, and Marie—all who preceded him in death.
Gene graduated from basic training at Ft. Lee, VA, and served his country honorably in the Caribbean Defense Command, Panama Canal Zone and was assigned to USMA Prep School, Stewart Air Force Base, NY. He graduated with a BS in Industrial Management from Georgia Tech in 1953. While at Tech Gene was Sports Editor of the “Technique,” President of the Industrial Management Society, and active in the Newman Club.

Gene was a long-time and avid supporter of Georgia Tech Ramblin’ Wreck Athletics, a 50-year season ticket holder for football, and a prominent figure at basketball and baseball games. He served as president of the Yellow Jacket Club and also enjoyed the women’s sports that came long after his graduation.

His professional life included employment with Reynolds Metals Company for three years, JM Tull Metals for twenty-seven years, and began his own business, Lorenz Industrials Company, as a manufacturers’ representative in 1984.

A devoted parishioner at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, Gene gave of his time and talent through the years in many capacities: OLA School Board, Parish Council, St. Vincent de Paul Society, and Choir. Additionally, he and his wife were staunch supporters of many charitable causes and Gene served on the Board of Trustees of Georgia Shakespeare for several terms.

Gene relished his role as a coach for little league girls softball at Murphy Candler Park, in the dugout as his four girls competed over several years.

Gene was always ready with a pun, a joke and loved to compose humorous limericks or parodies to the delight of his friends. He greatly enjoyed golfing and had the fortune of playing some memorable courses, among them, Augusta National, The Old Course at St. Andrews, Muirfield (Edinburgh, Scotland), Pebble Beach, L.A. Country Club, Baltusrol, Skerries (Dublin, Ireland), and TPC Sawgrass.

He is survived by his wife, Ann Marie (Whyte), whom he married on June 14, 1952, their seven children: Ed, Larry, David, Mary, Patty, Cathy, Nancy and numerous beloved grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to F.O.C.U.S. (Families of Children Under Stress), St. Vincent de Paul Society, or Damian-Dutton Society for Leprosy Aid.

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