Wilbur Eugene “Gene” Argo, 77, of Placerville, California, took his final ride into the sunset after battling complications from prostate cancer in the comfort of his own home, surrounded by his family.

He was born December 15,1941 and he always added, “It was the week after Pearl Harbor.” He was born to Dwight E. Argo and Sara (DeVan) Argo in Atlanta, Georgia. From there, the family moved to Centralia, Missouri – then moved to Dallas, Texas where he lived until he was 16 years old. Their final move as a family was to San Mateo, California where he attended Hillsdale High School.

Gene dreamed of being a cowboy and loved horses, rodeos, hunting and playing golf. He graduated from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture. Gene was a proud member of the United States Marine Corps. He worked in the energy business starting at the age of eighteen as a lineman for PG&E in San Francisco, California, and continued on to retire as the CEO of Midwest Energy in Hays, Kansas. He spent his free time playing golf, marketing and attending rodeos and spending time with his grandchildren. He was well respected for his advice and strength of character by both friends and family. Gene enjoyed pulling off many pranks and brought laughter to everyday life.

Gene is survived by his wife Linda of 51 years, daughters Kathy Wong, (Alex) and their children Jade and Nicholas Wong, Gena Argo and her son Jake Keller and his son Michael Argo and his children, Whitney, Kolin and Karter – as well as his sister Dottie Norstrud of Overland Park, KS. So many wonderful nieces and nephews added joy and contentment to his life. He valued his best buddies whether he was hunting, golfing or finding the next rodeo.

The family would like to extend their sincerest gratitude towards Dr. Peter Barba and his incredible staff. He was not only our physician, but a dear friend who guided us every step of the way through this journey. A special thank you to the people at Snowline Hospice in Placerville for their loving care and support during his final days.

A Celebration of Life will be held for Gene in the upcoming weeks. In lieu of flowers, Gene would appreciate memorial donations to the Hays Medical Center Foundation, Hays, Kansas of which he served on the Board for many years.