Zirbes, Clarence Eugene (Gene)

ZIRBES, COLOYAN, MELVIN

Posted By: Ruth Maring - Volunteer (email)
Date: 9/24/2007 at 18:29:45

Zirbes, Clarence Eugene (Gene)

Clarence Eugene (Gene) Zirbes, 74, of Clinton, IA passed away Wednesday, September 19, 2007.

Visitation will be from 4-8PM Tuesday, September 25, 2007 at the Clinton Chapel Snell-Zornig Funeral Home and Crematory where a 7:00PM Rosary will be recited.

Services will follow the Rosary at the Funeral Home. Burial of the cremains will be in the Clinton Lawn Cemetery.

Gene was born May 30th 1933 in Clinton, IA to Clarence and Midge Zirbes. He served in the US Navy on the USS Leyte CV32. On April 19, 1954 he married Pearl Coloyan of Revere MA, and had four children. In 1964 he started Zirbes Delivery Service and later added Zirbes Moving in Storage and became an agent for Mayflower Van lines. In 1978 he became an insurance agent for Prudential Insurance Company and was awarded many times for outstanding service during his career at Prudential. In 1989, he retired from Prudential and returned to his first love trucking in which he delivered camping trailers all over the US and Canada, he also remarried after Pearl’s death to Linda K Melvin on June 28, 1989. He again retired but continued to drive for the Clinton School district part- time until spring of 2000. He and Linda then spent the winter months in Corpus Christi, TX with son Ron and summer months in Clinton, IA with his granddaughter Melissa and in St. Paul, MN with his son Tom. He was an active fundraiser for St. Mary’s School and Church. He often volunteered his time by becoming the athletic team‚s bus driver taking the teams to their sporting events. He was past president of the USS Leyte association in which he was instrumental in getting a memorial for his shipmates who died in Boston Harbor on October 16, 1953. Today, a memorial stands next to the USS Constitution in remembrance of his shipmates and civilians who died during this tragic event.

He is survived by his wife Linda of Clinton, four children, Regina Melvin (Jack) of Clinton IA, Gregory Zirbes of Norfolk, VA, Ronald Zirbes (Tisha) of Corpus Christi, TX, Thomas Zirbes (Jacquelyn) of St. Paul MN, two step children Jack Melvin of Clinton, IA, and Timothy Melvin of Clinton, IA. He had 13 grandchildren and two great grandchildren who he adored.

Memorials may be made to the USS Leyte Association and Air Groups.

Clarence Eugene (Gene) Zirbes
Clinton, IowaMay 30, 1933 - September 19, 2007
Published in the Clinton Herald from 9/22/2007 - 9/24/2007