Eugene E. Parker passed away on Saturday October 30, 2010 at his home in Silvis, Illinois. Services will be held at 11AM on Tuesday November 2, 2010 at the Van Hoe Funeral Home Ltd., in East Moline. Visitation will be for one hour preceding the services. Burial will be in the National Cemetery on Arsenal Island with Military Honors by the Milan American Legion Post 569/200 and the VFW Post 1303. Gene was a member of Christ United Methodist Church. Eugene Earl Parker was born in Moline on December 15, 1923 to Robert and Edna (Burklund) Parker. He lived most of his life in the Moline/East Moline area. As a young boy, he especially loved spending time with his grandfather on the farm near New Windsor. He married Sara J (Frels) Harsch on March 19, 1976. She preceded him in death on July 13, 2003. Gene attended school in the Moline schools until joining the U. S. Navy in 1940 at the age of 16 and served throughout the Pacific during World War II. Gene was a qualified gunner and fought many air-battles against the Japanese during World War II. He even had the experience of watching his own ship sink from Japanese torpedoes---he was in the air at the time and could only watch helplessly as his ship and many of his fellow Navymen were lost. After the war ended, Gene was Honorably Discharged from the Navy and soon joined the U.S. Air Force. He remained in the Air Force for 4 years and was Honorably Discharged in 1950. During this time in the U. S. Military, Gene served in many areas including Greenland, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas and the South Pacific. In his private life after the U.S. Air Force, Gene helped on the construction of Cape Canaveral, worked in the salt mines of Michigan, worked for United Airlines in Chicago, Denver and Hawaii. He worked at John Deere Foundry and Plow Planter for many years and retired in 1981. Gene devoted nearly 25 years of his free time as a volunteer for The State of Illinois as a Driver's Instructor for Seniors. He was a lifetime member of VFW Post #2153 in Moline where he served many terms as an officer of the organization including Commander. Gene was a member of the Amvets Post #145 East Moline and the American Legion where he had held many offices in all of the organizations. He has been an active participant in Veteran functions and actively marched in most parades in the Moline and East Moline area. He served on the Military Honor Guard at hundreds of funerals held for other Veterans being buried on Arsenal Island. Gene was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Sara. Gene is survived by his dear friends, Bob and Patti Goodall of Milan and Rick and Jane Lampkin of Moline. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Gene's name to Honor Flights of the Quad Cities, 4130 Northwest Blvd. Davenport, Iowa 52806 or phone 563-388-3271.