GENE E. BENDIGO SR.
March 14, 2009
Gene E. “Skip” Bendigo” Sr., 78, of 11079 Clarks Valley Road, Tower City, died Tuesday evening at Select Special Hospital, Camp Hill.
Born in Williamstown, January 9, 1927, he was a son of the late Lynn Bendigo and Viola [Meese] Bendigo Zerbe. He was a graduate of Porter Township High School.
He was an army Air Corps veteran of World War II.
He was owner of Bendigo Airport, which he founded in 1947 and opened to the public in 1963. He was a licensed commercial pilot.
He retired in 1977 as a Department of Defense firefighter from Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville. He also owned and operated Bendigo Fire Equipment, retiring in 1985.
He attended St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, Orwin.
He was active with all of the local fire companies, a member of the Schuylkill and Dauphin County fireman’s Association, Distelfink Aero Club and International Flying Farmers Association.
He was a former Rush Township, Dauphin County, tax collector, and was formerly active with state and local politics. He was also active in the Tower City/Porter Township Veterans memorial in Tower City.
Surviving are his wife, Helen T. [Kessler] Bendigo, to whom he was married for 55 years; a daughter, Barbara J. Brown, and her husband, Art Brown, Williamstown; three sons, Gene D. Bendigo Jr., Oberlin; Paul L. Bendigo and his wife Christine Bendigo, Reading; and Brian L. Bendigo, and his wife, Kelly Bendigo, Enola; two sisters, Carol Moyer, Jim Thorpe, and Jane Bernhardy, Williamsport, nine grandchildren.
Services will be held at noon Saturday from the Chapel of the Dimon Funeral Homes Inc., Tower City. The Rev. Edward S. Gobrecht will officiate. Viewing will be from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the funeral home. Memorial donations may be made to Gene E. Bendigo Sr. Fireman’s Fund (to help support all local fire companies) c/o. MidPenn Banks, 545 E. Grand Avenue, Tower City, Pennsylvania 17980 or Hillside SPCA, Hillside Road, Pottsville, Pennsylvania 17901. Interment will be in St. Peter’s Cemetery, Orwin.
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Article from the Pottsville Republican and Herald, 18 March 2005, via Newspapers.com.
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