Eugene (Gene) Bruce Pflughaupt

Published 4:40 pm Friday, December 20, 2024

Eugene (Gene) Bruce Pflughaupt was born on April 29, 1926, to Walter and Lily Pflughaupt of Des Plaines, Illinois. He was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Margery Ames Pflughaupt, and is survived by daughters Deborah (Robert) Armbruster of Clinton, Kentucky; Julie (Allen) Boyd of Bloomington, Indiana; and Sarah (Ray) McKenney of Cynthiana, Kentucky; sister Lois Hesse of Dallas, Texas; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Drafted immediately out of high school in June 1944, he served with the 30th “Old Hickory” Infantry Division in Europe during the Battle of the Bulge and subsequent operations to the end of WWII in Germany. For his service he was awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Bronze Star, and multiple campaign medals. Upon his return from WWII, he completed undergraduate studies in 1950 at Northwestern University and was soon recalled to active duty for service during the Korean Conflict. During his early employment in Dallas, Texas, he pursued law studies and graduated from the Southern Methodist University Law School in 1958. From 1965 to the late 1970’s he served as the Shelbyville-based statewide Kentucky Sales Representative for West Legal Publishing Company, after which promotion took Margery and him to St Paul, Minnesota, where he served as West’s national law book sales manager until 1991. Upon retirement, he and Margery settled in Danville, Kentucky, and wintered in Tucson, Arizona. While in Kentucky, Gene served as a member of the Shelbyville and Shelby County School Boards. Upon leaving those roles, he and Margery maintained the Moore’s Scholarship, which provided a four-year scholarship to a graduating Shelby County senior, for seventeen years. Their philanthropy continued with both Northwestern and Southern Methodist Universities, the Salvation Army, the Danville Brass Band Festival, and the 30th Infantry Division Association. He was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Danville and St. Albans Episcopal Church in Tucson. He was active in Gideons and the Kentucky and Texas Bar Associations. Funeral services were held Monday, December 23, 2024 at Trinity Episcopal Church with Fr. Joe Chambers officiating. Burial followed at Camp Nelson National Cemetery with full military honors.
Contributions may be made to Trinity’s Mother’s Day Food Collection, Salvation Army, or Gideons. www.preston-pruitt.com