Eugene (Gene) Philip Horning passed away Monday morning, March 21, 2022, at the age of 63, with his wife by his side. Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene and Sheila Horning, brother, Stephen Horning, father-in-law, Thomas Sanders, and many other friends and family.

Gene is survived by his wife, Kim Horning, of 43 years, his daughters Rebecca Horning and husband Jonathan Wilson, Cynthia and husband Ted Herman, grandchildren Joaquin and Sloane Wilson (Rebecca), sister Francine Michelsen, lifelong friend/brother Rick Johnson, mother-in-law, Carolyn Sanders, brother-in-law, Kevin Sanders, nieces and nephews, his beloved dog, Lucy, and many other friends and family, many of which reside in England.

Gene was born in San Diego on June 9, 1958, to Eugene and Sheila Horning. He started working on vehicles in high school, where he specialized in Volkswagens. He graduated from Granite Hills High School in 1976. Gene, Kim, and their oldest daughter, Rebecca, moved to Northern California in 1981 and welcomed their youngest daughter, Cynthia, into the world two months later. Gene continued his career when he started working for Dave Ansley at Dave’s Shell. He remained at the business for 41 years, working through multiple name changes from Dave’s Shell, to Dave’s BP, and then Dave’s 76 Station; the last 10 years, he enjoyed working for Shannon McWhorter at Sequoia Gas, where he remained loyal to his community and customers. If you brought Gene a car to fix, and he didn’t already know how to fix it, he figured it out; he loved his customers, and he met so many wonderful people and made many lifelong friends. He will he missed by his coworkers Daniel, Hunter, and Laura.

He was known by many titles, including husband, dad, grandpa, brother, crew chief, fisherman, and friend.

Gene started working on race cars in San Diego, with his dad, at the age of 12; this is where his love of fixing cars and working on race cars began. He worked for many different race teams in San Diego, and after moving to Humboldt County in 1981, he was crew chief for Don McKay, Terry Gardner, and three time champion, Glenn Shewry; he also helped with Luke Hall’s race car and built many engines for Wendt Construction. Gene was also the crew chief for Preston O’Dell at Redwood Acres and went to Mexico twice for the Pan American Road Race. Gene retired from the racing scene 9 years ago, but any time someone needed a part, help, or advice, Gene was always willing to offer his time and expertise.

Gene was an avid fisherman, and would drop just about anything, if it meant a day of fishing. Anytime he heard fish were biting, he was more than willing to head to the nearest fishing hole. He loved fishing any rivers, especially the Klamath, which became an annual fishing trip with friends from all over. He went on many fishing trips with Chuck Lukas (Coyote), John Miranda, Guy Gin, and Jim Goodale. He also loved fishing in the ocean with John Senestraro and Dale Westman. He always looked forward to fishing in the annual bass tournament at Ruth Lake with Chas Jenson for the last 28+ years. He fished with many other friends, but there are too many to list.

When gene wasn’t wrenching or fishing, he loved spending time at home working in his vegetable and flower gardens, barbecuing for his family, watching NASCAR, playing with his dogs, and working on home improvement projects. He loved hanging up Christmas lights and decorating the whole yard at Christmas. He also loved the Fourth of July, and many of his friends and family have great memories of the fireworks and barbecues he hosted. He started doing fireworks at Newburg Park before it was even a park.

Gene passed away after a very brief battle with cancer. He was incredibly strong, courageous, and brave, and he will be missed by many. A special thanks to Hospice of Humboldt for making his final days as comfortable as possible.

A celebration of life will be held on April 22, 2022 from 4-6 p.m. at the Veteran’s Hall in Fortuna. Please bring your favorite stories about Gene to share. All friends and family are invited.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Gene Horning’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.