Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 6, at Massey Funeral Home in Louisville. Visitation will take place the same day from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service in the funeral home chapel. Interment will follow immediately at Sardis Church Cemetery in Winston County. Gene lived a life marked by curiosity, hard work, deep roots, and a profound appreciation for the community around him.
He spent many years with Louis Dreyfus Corporation, embracing the life of a corporate nomad and forming lifelong friendships on the road. His entrepreneurial spirit eventually led him to South Carolina, where he built a business alongside his friend and partner, Lonnie Atkins.
A man of many passions, Gene cared deeply about environmental conservation and was endlessly fascinated by invention and engineering. He was a devoted baseball fan, cheering faithfully for his Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Baltimore Orioles. He loved hunting, never passed up a plate of Southern biscuits, and relished a good steak or Southern-style seafood.
Gene also cared deeply for the Ellison Ridge community. A proud member of Ellison Ridge Baptist Church, he worked hard to return home to the family land he loved so dearly and was known as a loyal friend to all who crossed his path.
In recent years, Gene was often spotted roaming the family land in his side-by-side, accompanied by his beloved dog and constant companion, Pookie, who held a special place in his heart.
Gene will be remembered for his warm spirit, his adventurous mind, and the simple joys he never took for granted.
Serving as pallbearers Stanley Eaves, M. L. McGee, Stewart “Catfish” Clay, Derek McKim, Alan Harper, and Ryan Penny. Honorary pallbearers are Albert “Shug” Glass and Lonnie Atkins.
Forest Gene is survived by his three children: daughter Marcelle Deal and husband Allen Deal of Chapin, SC; daughter Genevieve (Genna/Ginny) Hill Evashevski and husband William Evashevski of Good Hart, MI; and son Christopher Hill (with Chelsea Derrick) of Eastover, SC. He is also survived by his siblings, Pamela Jane Hill of Traverse City, MI, and Kenneth Miles Hill (Sonia Lahmer) of Wilmington, DE; his grandchildren, Ryan Penny of West Columbia, SC; Adrienne (Ward) Burrus and Madden Deal of Chapin, SC; as well as his nephew, Alan Harper of Chicago, IL; and great-grandchild Bailyn Grace Burrus. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Tammy Cobb Hill, and by his parents, Jimmy and Rita Hill.
Our family would like to offer our greatest appreciation to Derek McKim, who has cared for him so dutifully and compassionately in his last year of life. Memorials in honor of Forest Gene may be given to the Sardis Cemetery Fund, c/o Glenda Thomas, 215 Thomas Road, Louisville, MS 39339.
