- Date Of Birth: June 15, 1940
- Date Of Death: October 27, 2021
- State: Indiana
Eugene A. “Gene” Lamberson died on October 27, 2021, at Dyer Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center in Dyer, Indiana. He was born on June 15, 1940, in Lafayette, Indiana to the late Eugene V. and Virginia L. (nee Walters) Lamberson
Gene graduated from Klondike High School, where he earned ten varsity letters and co-captained football, basketball and track teams. He earned All-State honors in the 220-yard dash, competed on a state football championship team, four county track championship teams, and a county championship basketball team.
Gene earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue University in 1963. He then continued his educational pursuits at Purdue also earning a Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering in 1965. Gene came from a family tradition of contracting and engineering. After graduation, he relocated to Chicago, where he worked for several companies including Ryerson Steel, Dywidag Systems, the Reinforced Earth Company, and Foster Geotechnical. Gene was also a Licensed Professional Engineer in nine states and held patents for a highway noise abatement system and an earth railroad bridge wall design.
Gene was an avid supporter of Purdue University throughout his life. He was a lifetime member of the Purdue Alumni Association, a member of the John Purdue Club, and a Charter Member of the Civil Engineering Advisory Council, where he made over 200 presentations to Purdue civil engineering students over the course of his career. He also earned the Civil Engineering Achievement Award in 1998. Gene was also an active supporter of Purdue athletics. He was a Purdue Football and Basketball Season Ticket holder for 30 years. He attended major events including trips to the Alamo Bowl, the Rose Bowl, the Alaskan Shootout and numerous NCAA tournament appearances.
He was also an active water skier. He learned to water ski on Lake Freeman in 1952 and took up competitive trick skiing in 1962. He competed in fifty-five consecutive Indiana State Tournaments, winning eleven state trick skiing titles with at least 1 win in 5 different decades. He qualified for the U.S. National Waterski tournament in 2011, placing fifth. Gene was inducted into the Indiana Waterski Hall of Fame in 1999.
Gene was a loving father and grandfather and is survived by his daughter Lorrie and husband Greg Hopp, daughter Shannon and husband John Richmond, and grandchildren Kaitlyn and Madison Hopp, Ryan Kendall, and John Richmond. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Eugene V. and Virginia L. Lamberson along with his brothers, Melvin E. and Larry L.
