Eugene Romer, Jr.'s Obituary
Eugene Romer Jr., 75, of Mount Dora passed away on December 25, 2009 at home with his wife, four children and two of his grandchildren at his side. He was born at home to Helen and Eugene Sr. on January 21, 1934 and grew up with his sister Doris in Cincinnati, Ohio. Gene spent much of his early years with his Grandma and Grandpas Romer and Vogel as well as at the family bakery & restaurant that his busy parents owned and operated. Gene learned the love of travelling and exploring on family road trips which took his family to destinations from Cincinnati to Montana, Yellowstone to Sequoia National Park, San Francisco and southern California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana and the Great Smokey Mountains and then home again. He joined the United States Marine Corps in January 1952, trained at Camp Lejeune and Pendleton, traveled overseas to Japan and served a tour during the Korean War. After Korea, Gene was assigned as an Embassy Guard in Switzerland for the remainder of his 8-year military tenure. After the Corps, Gene moved to join his parents and settle down in Mount Dora in 1958. He started working with his Dad as a third generation baker and eventually took over the business. Gene and his family owned and operated Romer's Bakery located in the red brick building on 5th Ave for the next 27 years. He was well known in Mt. Dora and Lake County for his doughnuts, cookies, breads, pies, wedding cakes, gingerbread houses, and many other baked goods. Friends and locals still rave today on just how great and unmatched his doughnuts were.Beyond the bakery, Gene was a kind and loving husband, dad, grandpa, friend, great story teller, avid outdoorsman and former Marine. He met his true love and partner Lucille in the choir at St. Mary's Catholic Church and the two married on July 15, 1961. The family soon grew to six with the additions of Jim, Tom, Teresa and then Jenny. Addresses and cars may have changed but the roots that Gene and Lucille first planted in 1961 grew stronger and deeper with the passage of time. Family, travel, food and the great outdoors were all facets of the Romer family life. Memories are full of cross country road trips, hundreds of campsites, holidays spent at Grandma & Grandpa Ski's, dancing the Polka on 'The Splash', multiple trips to the great Northwest for family and exploring, hikes in the many of our National and State Parks and Forests, canoeing through lakes, rivers and streams, LOTS of good food and baked goods, graduations, birthdays, births, deaths and anniversaries. Through it all love, laughter, humor, hugs and support were ever present from Gene and Lucille.It was during his duties as an Embassy Guard in Switzerland where his love of the mountains continued to grow and thrive. Gene climbed the Matterhorn amongst many other hikes and learned to ski on wooden skis on the slopes of the Alps. He instilled and shared his love for the great outdoors with his wife and children…many good trips and memories would develop over the years and new memories are still being created by his kiddos and grandkids.Gene was ever loving, patient, kind, and supportive, he possessed a quiet but quick sense of humor and wit and enjoyed a good laugh. He instilled his values of hard work, pride, and humility to his children along with his passion for travel and his love of the outdoors. He along with Lucille encouraged them all to pursue further education and was a continuous source of love and support for his children in their own passions, adventures, and chosen paths. His love and pride in his grandchildren was without question and he was often found in the backyard or woods playing with them and showing his granddaughters bugs, lizards, worms and snakes. His favorite time of the year was Christmas. Gene made Christmas Eve so very magical for his children and grandchildren and so it seems special and appropriate that he would leave us on Christmas Day. Gene is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Lucille F. (Wawrzycki); his four children, Jim of San Francisco, CA, Tom and his wife Erin of Santa Clara, CA, Teresa White and her husband Phil of Lakeland, FL, and Jennifer Romer of Santa Clara, CA; his three grandchildren, Elyse White, Abigail Romer and Anna White, and his sister Doris Huff and her husband Don of Cincinnati, OH, and their children (Patty, Susan, David in memory, Mike, Donna, and Diane). He and Lucille were among the founding members of Saint Patrick's Catholic Church of Mount Dora, where they established a nucleus of friendships with many families that have endured for over 40 years. The family received friends in the Hamlin & Hilbish Chapel on Wednesday, January 6, 2010 from 4 to 6pm with Wake Service at 5pm. A Funeral Mass was held at Saint Patrick's Catholic Church of Mount Dora on Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 9am. A Celebration of Life reception followed in the parish hall. Donations can be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or Cornerstone Hospice in Gene's name.
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