Gene Humphrey, Sr.

Gene L. Humphrey, Sr., of Severn, MD, passed away on October 22, 2020, at Glynn Taff Assisted Living in Catonsville, MD. Gene was born on June 27, 1940, in Richlands, NC, to the late Lee Frederick Humphrey of NC and the late Margaret P. Perry of MD. He is survived by his loving wife Elizabeth Jane Humphrey. They celebrated 60 years of marriage on October 14th.

Gene moved to Maryland on his motorcycle when he was 18 years old, following his brothers’ leads. He was a factory worker at Proctor-Silex. His brother Jim got him into IBM school, and he later moved into data processing at Proctor-Silex. Gene left in 1974 to join the nascent Maryland Auto Insurance Fund, where he helped design and build the computer systems to run the organization. He retired in 2002 and for the most part, ignored computers afterwards. No smart phones for him! His last was a flip-phone.

Gene was very handy around the house and garage and could build or fix just about anything. Jane would mention it, and he’d get it done. He did many remodeling projects and passed on some of his construction skills to his children. Gene and Jane also enjoyed touring by travel trailer. They camped from Maine to Florida, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, and everywhere in between. Gene was very patient about sitting outside fabric stores all across the country, waiting while Jane shopped for quilting supplies.

Gene never met a stranger. From conversing with the other husbands waiting at the fabric stores to walking his dog around the neighborhood, he’d stop and talk and exchange bad jokes and long stories. Endlessly. And you always had to plan on at least a half-hour to say goodbye.

Gene suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in the last few years of his life. The family is very appreciative of the care he received at Glynn Taff Assisted Living. It takes a special kind of person to nurse and care for our senior citizens, especially those with dementia, and the staff there rose to the challenge.

In addition to his parents, Gene was predeceased by his sisters Anne Carol Humphrey and Sue C. Rolstone and his brother Lee Humphrey. He is survived by his wife Jane and their son Gene Humphrey, Jr. and partner Jan Dethloff of Odenton, MD; daughter Susan (Timothy) Rice of New Market, MD; granddaughter Jill Rice of New Market, MD; brothers James Humphrey of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA and John Humphrey of Reisterstown, MD; and many brothers-and sisters-in-law, nieces, and nephews.