Visitation:  6:00 - 8:00 pm, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010 at the funeral home

Memorial Service:  2:00 pm, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010 at the Cabool Church of the Brethren

Memorials:  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Gene's name c/o the funeral home to help with final expenses

Obituary:

Eugene (Gene) Oral Colliflower, 66, son of Harvey and Doraine (Lauerman) Colliflower was born on July 7, 1944, in East St. Louis, Illinois. He departed this life on November 7, 2010, at the Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston after a long illness.

Gene grew up in the St. Louis area and graduated from Belleville (Illinois) High School in 1962. He was a flight test engineer for McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis and also worked for several other firms on contract engineering projects. He served in the United States Army in the early 1960s.

Gene "retired" to the Ozarks several years ago yet remained involved with many activities. He was one of the founding directors of community radio KZGM in Cabool, Missouri, with the "G" in the call letters representing his name. Without his reassurance, advice, and tireless work, KZGM would not have made it on the air. He hosted a jazz program on the station, but was most famous for his humorous "traffic reports" that ranged from "A yellow truck just went by" to "Traffic was so heavy the only way to get into the other lane was to buy the car next to you."

He came to the radio station every single day even when his illness, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) progressed to the point that he had to give up other activities. He would sit in the office, waiting for a favorite song or to visit with other volunteers at the station. Although he suffered from PSP, kidney disease and other medical problems, he was always willing to be a part of everything going on around him and in the community.

Gene was a member of the Cabool Church of the Brethren. He was on the board of directors of Cabool Revitalization Group, Inc. and enjoyed helping with community events.

His hobbies included travel, camping, photography and reading.

Gene was preceded in death by his father Harvey Colliflower. He is survived by his friend and caregiver Myron Jackson, Cabool; his mother Doraine; and brother Fred and wife, Maggie, all of Belleville, IL; and, Bart, his Anatolian Shepherd dog and constant companion.