Gene Leary Obituary

Gene Arthur Leary, Sr. MATLACHA ISLES, FL - Gene Arthur Leary, Sr. of Matlacha Isles, Florida, passed away on September 14, 2016 after a battle with cancer. Gene was born October 13, 1940 in Charleston, where he resided until 1970. Gene was a Boy Scout and achieved the rank of Life, and would have become an Eagle Scout but was stricken with polio at the age of 13. Gene graduated from Chicora High School in 1958 and attended the College of Charleston where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Gene worked as a mortician at J. Henry Stuhr, Inc Funeral Home until 1964, when he joined Monroe Systems for Business. His family moved to Atlanta in the summer of 1970, where they resided until December 1972, when they moved to Pensacola, Florida. He was the founder of the Gulf Breeze Optimist Fishing Tournament. In the summer of 1978, his family moved to Jacksonville Beach, FL where he would reside until 1996. Gene was the primary founder of the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament in 1981. He married Alice Carbone on April 1, 1985 and in 1996, they began traveling the country in an RV. In 2008, after visiting the area for over 10 years, Gene and Alice settled in Matlacha Isles, Florida. He was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur Jarvis Leary and Dorothy Alexander Leary; a brother, Frank E. Leary; and one stepson, William Carbone. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Alice of Matlacha; one son, G. Arthur Leary, Jr. (Rameca) of Gulf Breeze, Florida; two stepsons, Dennis Carbone (Donna) of Atlanta and Bobby Isaac (Debbie) of Jacksonville Beach; five step-grandsons, Sage, Dennis, Jr. and Daniel of Atlanta, Chase and Christian of Jacksonville Beach; a niece, Beth Leary Davis of Ft. Mill, SC; and a nephew, F. Allen Leary of Mt Pleasant; and the mother of his son, Bette Young Hund of Jacksonville. A celebration of life service will be held at Noon on October 22, 2016 at Pine Island Community Church, 5320 Doug Taylor Cir., St James City, FL 33956. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that donations be made to Hope Hospice of Cape Coral, 2430 Diplomat Pkwy. E., Cape Coral, Florida 33909. Arrangements by Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service (239) 242-0909. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston