Eugene Hogue

In Loving Memory

Eugene Hogue

On February 22, 2019, Eugene (Gene) Hogue died of complications from dementia. Gene was born in 1938, the fifth of seven children, to the late Jean Albert and Emma (Waelbroek) Hogue and raised on a dairy farm in Ile Des Chenes, Manitoba. The family farm and the landscape it occupied became imprinted on his memory, as did the work and the precarious nature of making a living by farming.

He studied at the College de St. Boniface (BA), the University of Manitoba (BSc, MSc), and Purdue University, where he received his PhD in horticulture in 1967. He worked as a plant physiologist for Agriculture Canada, first, at its research station in St. Jean, Quebec, and, after 1977, at the Summerland Research Station. A dedicated researcher, he co-authored numerous scientific articles and pursued research that was both collaborative in its nature and practical in its intent.  This work was recognized by growers’ associations in BC and beyond for its contributions to the tree fruit industry. Gene’s work was a lifelong commitment that extended well beyond his twenty-nine career.

Transplanted to Summerland, Gene became thoroughly rooted in the Okanagan. Here, he realized a dream to establish his own orchard.  The orchard became a passion project that combined his longstanding love of farming, his scientific interest in horticulture, and a love for being outdoors.  He enjoyed hiking in the local hills and used those times to hone his bird identification skills.

Cold weather, for Gene, meant joyful uninterrupted reading time.  He borrowed or bought a vast amount of books on science, spirituality, medicine, and poetry, just to name a few subjects, and noted his thoughts in the margins, in journals, or scraps of paper. That collection of information fed Gene’s ability to talk knowledgeably about almost any topic, whether it was with colleagues at coffee or family and friends at the dinner table. More recently, he had focused his attentions on his family’s history and the connections to the broad currents that had shaped the Prairie West.

He was joined in these journeys by Marie (Alarie), his wife of fifty-four years and his children, Colette (Corey Schroyen) and Michel. He struggled to come to terms with the loss of his eldest son, Jean (Cristina), but his grandson Joshua provided him with great joy.

He is survived by siblings Helene (Bernard) Trudeau, Adelina (Frank) Duchek, and Rene (Carolee) Hogue and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by siblings Lucia (Luke) Riel, Charles (Denise) Hogue, and Raymond (Theresa) Hogue.

The family wishes to extend their sincere gratitude and appreciation to all the caregivers and staff at Summerland Seniors Village and Dr. Bannerman for their excellent care and compassion.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Gene’s memory to  Alzheimer Society of British Columbia.