Obituary of Gene Hubbard

Hubert Eugene “Gene” Hubbard was born January 5, 1923, the eighth of nine children.  He was raised in Kingston, OK graduating at the top of his class in 1941. He attended and worked at Ardmore Business College before joining the US Army Air Corps where he was assigned to a B-24 bomber crew followed by an assignment as an instructor. Gene survived a crash in November 1943 and at the end of WWII, and was the only surviving member of the original ten member crew.

After WWII Gene obtained a BS degree in Business Administration at the University of Oklahoma where he was also inducted into the honor society, Beta Gamma Sigma.  Following college Gene accepted a teaching position at Lawton, OK where he met and married one of his students, Helen Mae Ward in April 1950.

Gene was called back into service in December of 1950 as a 2nd lieutenant in the US Army Finance Corps where he served as a Deputy Finance Officer at Nurnberg, Germany.

Upon returning to civilian life, Gene worked as an accountant for the  Foster Organization in Oklahoma City, OK which developed a new city on San Francisco Bay, Foster City.  He left this position in 1969 to become accountant and controller for the Elliott organization in Walnut Creek, CA.  

In 1976 Gene retired to Gridley, CA where he and Helen purchased a 5-acre property which they developed into a Kiwi vineyard as well as lovely fruit, vegetable, and flower gardens.  In 1990 they sold the property and spent a couple of years travelling the US in their motorhome before settling in Ardmore, OK to be near his sisters.  Here they spent 18 years (the longest they ever lived in one place), improving the landscaping and working with the plants they loved, while heading to the Florida, California, or the Rio Grande Valley of Texas during the winter.  In 2010 Gene and Helen decided to move to Oroville to be near their daughter and grandchildren.

Gene is survived by his wife of 68 years, Helen Ward Hubbard; three children, Cecil Hubbard of Florida, Linda Saghy of Oroville, CA, and Thomas Hubbard of Chico, CA; two grandchildren, Christine (Dan) Harvey, and Andrew Saghy of Oroville, CA; six great grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews in Oklahoma and Oregon.

Gene has often said that he would like to be remembered as honest, conscientious, and dependable, and he wished the best for those he loved.

To honor his life a viewing will be held on Thur. September 6, 2018 from   10:00 am to 11:00 am.  His Farewell Funeral Service will begin at 11:00 am.

at Oroville Funeral Home, 1454 Montgomery St. Oroville, California.  A Reception will follow at Carriage Manor Clubhouse ~ 5660 Calash Dr.,Oroville.                 Private burial will take place at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon California.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Arrangements are entrusted to Oroville Funeral Home (530) 533-0323.