Lt. Col. Gene D. Munson

[ironputts]

August 5, 2023

Lt. Col. Gene D. Munson
Dakota Ridge Composite Squadron
Colorado Wing

Obituary of Gene Darrell Munson

Dr. Gene Munson passed away unexpectedly at the age of 72 on July 5th, 2023, at Porter Hospital in Denver, Colorado. Gene is survived by his children, Trevor Munson and his wife Janna Munson of Aurora, CO, and Kristyn Van Hoy of Knoxville, Tennessee, along with her husband Bret Van Hoy and their two children, Felix and Brock Van Hoy.
Gene Darrell Munson was born on February 24th, 1951, in Spokane, Washington, to Alfreda Jean Munson. He grew up predominantly with his grandparents in Spokane and Yakima, and later moved back to Southern Indiana where he lived until graduating High School. He volunteered to serve in the United States Air Force immediately after High School, and spent time in Laos & Cambodia during the Vietnam War. He was an intelligence specialist, and plotted targets for B-52s in the Linebacker II campaign. After his tour of duty was complete, Gene received an honorable discharge while serving in the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, the most decorated unit during the war.
On November 24th, 1978, he married Lauren Beck-Lundy, and enjoyed many great years of marriage. They both moved to Colorado in the mid 1980s, and after completing undergraduate degrees at Mesa State College, they had two children, Trevor and Kristyn. Gene's work with the Bureau of Reclamation relocated the family to the Denver area in 1992, and Gene began working on an advanced degree at the University of Denver, completing his Master's in Communication in 1994. Chasing and accumulating knowledge was always a passion of his; he obtained a Doctoral Degree in Leadership from Regent University in 2004. That same year, Gene also retired from working with the federal government as a GS-13 after 25 years of service.
His children remember him as a driven father who encouraged them to pursue their goals. Gene was an accomplished writer and authored several books. He was an active and dedicated member of Civil Air Patrol since 2002, frequently volunteering at Valkyrie Cadet Squadron in Denver. Gene will always be remembered as someone who always encouraged them to reach their full potential, and celebrated successes.