Gene (Eugene) Francis Kimmet

Gene Kimmet (Eugene Francis) was born in Lima, Ohio in 1925 to Emma Marie (Zerbst) and William Martin Kimmet.  He married Gloria May Everett, also of Lima, Ohio, in 1950 and they had a son and a daughter.  He attended Bluffton College in Ada, Ohio and later received a bachelor of arts degree from Ohio Northern University.  In 1964 he moved with his family to the Cleveland, Ohio area where he earned a Master’s Degree in Economics from Case Western Reserve University in 1968.  He taught Economics at Lorraine County Community College in Elyria, Ohio for two years before moving to Elgin, Illinois and teaching at William Rainy Harper College in Palatine, Illinois.  He was chair of the Economics Department at Harper College until his retirement in 1988.

Immediately after retirement he lived a few years in Bridgewater, Virginia and Williams Bay, Wisconsin.  However, most of his retirement years were spent in Woodstock, Illinois.  After the death of his wife, Gloria, in 2016 he moved to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to be near family.

Gene led an active life with a wide range of interests.  He hiked, canoed, bicycled, and traveled to lesser-known and sometimes challenging places. He became a serious writer in his fifties and studied under Lucien Stryk at Northern Illinois University.  He was an awarded Midwest poet who contributed to a number of publications, including Spoon River Quarterly and the Willow Review.  He published four books of poetry, the most recent in 2019.

He was an energetic and interactive person who will be remembered for his work ethic, integrity, generous spirit and keen sense of humor. He was an amazing husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend to those he encountered throughout his life. He was an inspiration to many whose influence continues to live on.

Gene is survived by his daughter, Christine Sotos-Barrera (Andres), Lake Geneva, WI, his son, Mark Kimmet, Elkhorn, WI (formerly Chicago, IL), three grandchildren; Joshua Sotos (Tracy) in Madison, WI, Aaron Kimmet (Lisle, IL), Max Kimmet (Forest Park, IL) and a great granddaughter, Kira Sotos (Madison, WI); a sister, Carolyn Bretzius (Palm Desert, CA) and a brother-in-law, Jon White (Lambertville, MI).

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 66 years, Gloria, two sisters, Mary Campbell (Lima, OH) and Rita Miller (Lima, OH), and granddaughter Jennifer (Sotos) Simonis (Memphis, TN).

Final arrangements have been made through Derrick Funeral Home in Lake Geneva, WI. All services will be private with a memorial gathering scheduled by family at a future time.

Family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s-- Walworth County.

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Derrick Funeral Home is honored to be assisting the Kimmet Family

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