Eugene Patrick McCarren's Obituary
Eugene “Gene” Patrick McCarren, beloved father, grandfather and friend, of Holiday, FL, passed away on Saturday, August 20, 2022, one day shy of his 84th birthday, surrounded by family. Gene was born August 21, 1938 to Harry and Margaret (Fitzgerald) McCarren and grew up in Camden, NJ with his two older siblings, Harry Jr. and Jack before joining the US Navy.
He was deployed to Europe as a communication specialist with the unique ability to speak and interpret German, Russian, and Turkish languages. He spent the majority of his time on submarine missions (top secret) where he intercepted and decoded enemy messages after WWII. Gene was proud of his service to his country and was rarely seen without his Navy hat!
After leaving the military, he enjoyed a long and celebrated Sales career in Maryland, Virginia and eventually Florida.
Gene loved life and always wanted to be with others…he never met a stranger. During his early years, he played tennis, grew roses and raised the many poodles that he and his then wife Hiltrud bred, raised and showed around the country. Later, he had a blast in retirement, spending his days windsurfing, racing cars, motorcycling, embarking on mobile home trips for months at a time, playing the bongos and helping/teaching others. His friends and family were important to him and he was always there to lend a hand, share a story, teach windsurfing or run errands if needed.
Gene is survived by his only daughter, Deborah Ann McCarren Troy, who he adored. He is also survived by his son-in-law Joseph Troy and his three grandchildren: Michael, Madison and Rachel Troy.
A military ceremony will be held at Bay Pines National Cemetery at 10:00am on Friday, October 7th, followed by a celebration of life at Fred Howard Park beach.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or The Wounded Warriors Project.
A military ceremony will be held at Bay Pines National Cemetery at 10:00am on Friday, October 7th, followed by a celebration of life at Fred Howard Park beach.
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