Bozeman Daily Chronicle
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com
Gene Bourdet, former player, coach and athletic director of Montana State College, died of natural causes at the age of 96 on May 31st in Roseville, CA.
Bourdet was born in Hollister, CA on November 24,1922. He loved sports and made all league in both baseball and football during his highschool years. After being drafted into the service in 1943, Gene arrived at Montana State for military training. It was there that he met his future wife, Eileen Olson. When the war was over, he returned to marry Eileen and finish his college education at MSC while playing quarterback for the Bobcats. During this time he and Eileen started a "team" of their own and had 5 children over the next 13 years.
His Montana career included high school coaching at both Fairfield and Livingston before returning to his alma mater as an assistant coach in football and track. In 1958 he was appointed athletic director and department head for health and physical education, a position he held for the next 12 years. Apart from his work, Gene enjoyed the outdoors: picnics up Bridger Canyon, backyard barbecues, trips to the farm, pheasant and deer hunting and fishing in Montana's trout filled rivers. When it came time to depart, a large part of his heart was left behind in Big Sky country.
In 1970 Gene moved back to California and from 1971-1979 was athletic director for the Fresno State Bulldogs. This was followed by a stint as athletic director for the San Diego State University Aztecs (1979-1983) until a heart attack in 1982 prompted him to step down. He returned to Hollister with Eileen and they lived there for the next 30 years (Eileen passed away in 2008). When Gene's health declined he moved to the Roseville area in 2015 to live with family. He was a steadfast Rotarian for 48 years and a faithful member of the Catholic church. He will be greatly missed.
A service will be held at 10:30 AM at the Immaculate Conception Church in Tres Pinos, CA. Military honors and a reception will follow.
More details and a video interview with Gene can be found at www.grunnagle.com . Click on obits and then on his photo.
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