Eugene Tribbett 1932 - 2026

Eugene Alvin Tribbett was born December 31,1932, in Yuma, Colorado, to Edgar and Elizabeth (Lensert) Tribbett. Gene was born at home with the assistance of his Aunt Bert. He joined five sisters and one brother. His family moved to Oregon when Gene was six years old. He died February 20, 2026.

Gene graduated from Dayton High School in Dayton, Oregon, with the Class of 1950. As a teenager, Gene met the love of his life in the beanfields. She says he was the cutest sack boy she has ever seen. Gene married Joan Wiser on June 20,1952.

After a few years of various jobs, he became an apprentice plasterer and mastered his craft. Together, Gene and Jo renovated a turn-of- the-century farmhouse in Dayton, raising four daughters, animals, and fruit trees on their small 10-acre farm. They sold the farm and moved in 1996 to McMinnville, Oregon.

Dad became a member of Valley Baptist Church in 2015, and was baptized into the Lord Jesus on Palm Sunday. Dad was an avid gardener, mechanic, handyman, creative woodworker, and oil painter. He had a keen ear and played the concertina and harmonica by ear, delighting his family.

Dad will be dearly missed by his wife, Jo; his daughters, Teresa (Ditmore), Toni (Brent Walker), Bonnie (Johan Arends), and Alisa (Bruce Cardin); eight grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Edgar and Elizabeth, and all his siblings: sisters, IlaMae, Lucille, Marjorie, Eunice, Sylvia, and Shirley; and brothers, Harley, Howard, and Charles; and granddaughter, Erin Arends.
The family would like to thank Brian, RN, and Brighton Hospice for their excellent care.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, February 28, 2026, at Valley Baptist Church, 2631 N.E. McDonald Lane, McMinnville, Oregon.