Civil engineer, Belle Mead resident
(1929-2023)
Eugene (Gene) DeNagel 94, of Princeton, NJ, died December 2023.
He was born in Newark, NY in 1929 to Gretchen and Peter DeNagel. As an only child, he won a newspaper boys contest for selling the most War Bonds, earning for his mother the privilege of christening a military ship named "The Yellow Tavern."
Gene graduated from Newark High School, where he played basketball. He also attended Clarkson, and Indiana Tech, where he graduated with a civil engineering degree.
After serving in the Army during the Korean conflict, he moved to Gouveneur, NY. He met his wife Nancy Contant at the family cottage in the Thousand Islands, they married and started a family. He became an Explorer Scout Leader and accompanied his scouts up and down Mt Marcy every Thanksgiving weekend and participated in first aid training with medics at Camp Drum. He loved downhill skiing, well into his 60s, especially at Killington VT with his wife Nancy and his daughters, who learned to ski at the age of 3 and up. He enjoyed tent camping,
watching the waves, and eating seafood on Cape Cod. He especially loved their vacations to Mt Desert, Ireland, Acadia, Maine, Scotland, and Switzerland.
The family moved to Penfield NY due to more job opportunities. He was hired to work as a professional engineer in the field of commercial construction. He later was hired to work for Wilmorite as the Construction Manager of the Rochester Convention Center. Gene and Nancy later moved to Belle Mead NJ, where he continued working as a professional construction engineer.
He attended and was an active member of the Presbyterian Church and was once an Elder. He was also a member of the Masonic Lodge.
Gene is survived by his loving wife of 65 years; Nancy (Content), formerly of Lancaster, NY, and daughters Cynthia Lonnen (George), and Melissa DeNagel. His grandchildren Christopher Lonnen, Jennifer Lonnen (Steve Kolenda) and Amber DeNagel.
A family service will be held at Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton, for the immediate family, with interment at E. Palmyra Cemetery, NY in the spring.
