Wilbur E. (Gene) Whitworth, age 55, of Manchaca, passed away Tuesday, October 3, 2006. Gene was born February 22, 1951 in Nashville, TN, to Bertha and Hershel W. Whitworth, who preceded him in death. Gene received his B.S. and M.S. in Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, TN and a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Wyoming in Laramie, WY. He was a member of the United States Marine Corp from 1969 - 1972 and served in Okinawa. Gene was an active member in the Town Lake YMCA, where he regularly attended spin classes and walked the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail. He was also a member of Manchaca United Methodist Church. Gene was a biostatistician and had started his own company three years ago, Design Analytical, LLC. He was well respected and well loved throughout the clinical research community. Gene was a loving husband of twenty- four years to his wife, Susan Feldkamp, and a devoted father to his daughters, Sarah and Hilary. He especially enjoyed the camping and hiking trips he took with his daughters, particularly hiking in the Colorado Rockies, Yellowstone National Park and canoeing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. He loved bicycling throughout Hays County on the weekends and playing the blues guitar. Gene's wife and daughters survive him, as well as his brother, Hershel Whitworth and his sister, Marie Buck of Tennessee. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Friday, October 6, 2006 at Harrell Funeral Home in Austin. Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. Saturday, October 7, 2006 at Manchaca First United Methodist Church. Burial will follow in Live Oak Cemetery, Manchaca.

Published in the Austin American-Statesman on 10/6/2006.