Obituary: Eugene Hallman, 1950-2024 (2024)

Gene (“Geno”) Hallman of Richmond, Vt., passed away April 18 atthe University of Vermont Medical Center, surrounded by the love ofhis family.

Gene was born andraised in Pennsylvania, the son of Eugene and Rosemary (neeDougherty) Hallman. They filled Gene’s early life with love andwere deeply involved in his upbringing, providing carefree summers atthe shore, camping trips, ocean fishing and scouting. They taught himto love the outdoors, especially the ocean, and throughout his life,Gene maintained a love of the ocean and a responsibility to itshealth. They instilled in him the values of honesty, leadership andresponsibility and, above all, taught him the absolute importance ofrelationships and family. These principles guided his entire life.

Gene attendedMansfield State College to pursue a degree in elementary education,but his education was cut short when he was drafted for Vietnam. Hesustained injuries during his basic training that prevented him fromserving overseas, and after his recovery, he launched his career inthe early and burgeoning field of computer technology, travelingthroughout the country for Sperry Univac, where he worked as asystems analyst. He made his dearest lifelong friends from his workthere and began his participation in the“ski club.” Gene and his friends would travel weekly fromPennsylvania to Sugarbush to ski from dawn to dusk, while renting aski house in the Mad River Valley. He became an expert skier and wasable to ski in the French Alps at Chamonix.

Throughout histravels, Gene always knew he would settle in Vermont, and he finallymade a permanent move in the ‘80s and sought work in Vermont doinga variety of computer-related jobs for Universal Microsystems,McCauliffe, and finally for the state of Vermont, where he was theHealth and Human Services Agency data processing chief. He went on towork as chief of computer services for the state of Vermont, and thendirector of the Government Consulting Group. He worked briefly as theexecutive director of Economic Development for Northern Vermont untilillness prevented him from working. He was proud to finally completehis elementary education degree through the Norwich University AdultDegree Program and was able to work as a long-term sub, as his healthallowed. When his mobility declined, he worked locally at Smuggler’sNotch and is remembered there by staff and guests for his gentlepresence and hospitality.

Gene believed ingiving back to his community and always found a way to volunteer. InDallas he volunteered at the Scottish Rite for Children hospital andthen in the ERs in Massachusetts hospitals. These shaped his desireto pursue his EMT licensure, and he went on to become the head of theMad River Valley Ambulance. He was very active in Special OlympicsVermont and served as executive director and also directed the summergames. He volunteered in organizing the first Vermont CityTriathalon. He was a eucharistic minister at St. Mary’s inCambridge, Vt., and provided visitation for the sick and homebound.Gene looked forward each year to his week relaxing at his belovedEagle Camp in South Hero and always managed to volunteer during workweek to set up camp for the season. When he could no longer do anyphysical work, he still found a way to participate. As he became evenmore physically limited, he found a way to volunteer by doing mappingfor the USGS online from home.

He met his futurewife, Sharon (Pepe), when they both worked on the set constructioncrew for a Lyric Theater production, and they married in 1991.Children soon followed, and his life’s magnum opus became parentinghis sons, Eric and Ben. He was a steady presence in their lives andfound great comfort watching them grow to be fine men. Gene adoredtheir partners and was in love with his new grandson, Hudson. Hisfamily brought him much comfort in his final months.

Gene is survived byhis wife, Sharon; his sons, Eric (and wife Tiffany) and Ben (andpartner Abbie Zani); his grandson (and namesake), Hudson Eugene; hissister, Catherine Grosshanten (and husband Gary); nephew SamGrosshanten (and partner Amy Golden); niece April Fish (and husbandJoel Tyson), and grandniece and grandnephew Allie and Logan Fish. Healso leaves his father-in-law, Anthony DaSilva, and his sister andbrother-in-law, Beverly Pepe and Charlie Roy. He was predeceased byhis parents and his nephew Gary Grosshanten Jr.

The family inviteseveryone to an informal gathering of family and friends andcelebration of Gene’s life at the Richmond Free Library onSaturday, May 18, at 5 p.m.