Gene Raesz

Gene Raesz stepped into eternity in the early morning hours of Monday, April 1, 2024. His wife and daughter count it a privilege to have lovingly cared for him at home during his last days with the support and guidance from Baylor Scott and White Hospice.

A lifetime resident of Taylor, Gene was born to Eugene and Minnie Bohls Raesz on November 20, 1940. He was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church and graduated from Taylor High School in 1959.

Gene naturally gravitated to all sports in high school, lettering in football, baseball, basketball, and track. He received a football scholarship to Rice University, where he played all four years, earning letters for three years on the varsity squad, and served as co-captain of the 1962 team.

As a consensus pick for All-Southwest Conference end, Gene was also selected to the All-Southwest Conference Academic Team. In a secret ballot vote, his teammates elected him to receive the George Martin Award as the most valuable player of the squad. He was also selected to play on the West squad of the Shriners East-West game held in San Francisco.

He earned a B.A. Degree in Commerce from Rice in 1963, and accepted a bid to play for the  Canadian Football League. Gene later attended Naval Officer Candidate School during the early years of the Vietnam conflict, serving tours of duty aboard the USS Constellation, CVA-64; followed by a final assignment on the USS Dahlgren, DLG-12. He mustered out of military service in December 1969, to return to Taylor and join in managing the family owned Raesz Food Mart.

Gene contributed to his community as an active member and officer of the Jaycees and the Taylor ISD Board of Education. He was also a member of the local Optimist Club.

Many of his accomplishments were self taught. He built most of his family home, grew an orchard with highly sought after peaches, grafted pecan trees, and learned taxidermy.

Gene blessed those who knew him with a wealth of good memories and stories to share.

He was preceded in death by his son, Clay; and his parents.

Survivors include his wife, Jan of Taylor; daughter, Catherine Raesz of Pflugerville; sister Carol and husband, Wilford Webb of Plano; their four daughters, Tamara Webb, Ashlyn and Brian Welch, Erin and Lary Lumpkin, Channing Webb; and their extended families. Also his wife’s siblings, Donny and Jody Smith, Barbara and David Dike, Shelley and Cindy Smith, all of Fort Worth; and their extended families.

A memorial service will be held Friday, April 12 at 11 am at Providence Funeral Home in Taylor with Dr. Ron Braley officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to a charity of choice.