Eugene Holden

Eugene William Holden, 85, of Shoreview, Minn., died on November 12, 2024, at Hayden Grove Senior Living in St. Anthony Village. At his side were his wife of 54 years, Dianne, and his daughters Jeanette Woessner and Stacy Stanslaski.

Gene was born on August 4, 1939, to Arthur and Maurine Holden in Manly, Iowa. Gene often shared stories of riding on trains that ran behind the farmhouse or floating on make-shift rafts through the roadside ditches after heavy rains. He also recounted the times his mother dropped him off along the highway so that he could hitchhike to Iowa State University, where he earned a degree in Mathematics in 1961.

After college, Gene moved to Minneapolis to work as a computer programmer. During lunch breaks in those early years, you could often find Gene and his coworkers enjoying a roast beef sandwich at Mayslack’s Bar in Northeast Minneapolis, where wrestling legend and bar owner Stan Mayslack held court and carved meat by hand.

In 1970, Gene married Dianne Anderson of St. Paul. They had two children, Jeanette and Stacy. An active and involved father, Gene coached his daughters’ softball teams, taught them bicycling safety on rides to Baskin-Robbins, and cheered his girls on at their swim meets. Gene also enjoyed jazz and Bluegrass music, which he often played at high volume on weekend mornings, much to the displeasure of his teenage daughters. He also spent many happy hours completing puzzles, refinishing furniture, baking bread, running, and volunteering at his local co-op grocery store.

In 2003 Gene retired from UNISYS Corporation after a long and productive career in computer programming, which allowed him to pursue many of his personal interests and hobbies. An avid cyclist, he pedaled many, many hundreds of miles each year well into his seventies. A typical bike ride took him from his home in Shoreview to Stillwater and back, with a nonnegotiable stop for ice cream along the way. He was a beer connoisseur who sought out hoppy IPAs long before they became taproom staples. He was also an accomplished barbecue artiste who loved to prepare low-and-slow-cooked feasts for family and friends. On family dinner Sundays, Gene donned his polka-dotted “serious cookin’” hat and lovingly prepared brisket, pork shoulder, beans, and more. He also gave back to his community, repairing wheelchairs and walkers as a volunteer for Goodwill-Easter Seals. Later in retirement, Gene and Dianne spent winters in Fort Myers, Florida, where Gene biked and Dianne discovered pickleball.

Gene is survived by his wife Dianne, daughters Jeanette Woessner (Tim) and Stacy Stanlaski (Joel); grandchildren Sam and Reid Stanslaski and Calvin and Joe Woessner; siblings Carolyn Benjegerdes, Joanne Boyd, and Lowell Holden; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial and celebration of Gene’s life will take place on April 5th at a location yet to be determined. But rest assured there will be Bluegrass, puzzles, and IPA.

Memorials or donations may be made to the Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota, Jazz88, or Minnesota Public Radio.