Memorial for Gene Cross

Eugene W Cross Jr. (Gene Cross) passed away peacefully on December 10, 2020. He was a victim of ALS as a consequence of Agent Orange which came from his time in Viet Nam and that took his life. His final days were spent surrounded by his family and friends. He was 74.

Gene was born on June 10, 1946 in New London, Connecticut to parents Eugene (Gene) and Beatrice (Bea) Cross.
His presence and wit undoubtedly had an impact on people. Gene touched the hearts of many with his generosity, and he sparked curiosity in the minds of others for what was and what could be. He was always ready and eager for the next interesting conversation. Everyone he met remembered him. 

 Gene Cross was an accomplished, world-class optical engineer who made significant contributions to the aerospace, defense, and optical industries. His list of employers reads like the Who’s Who of the defense industry - General Dynamics, Teledyne, Grumman, Xerox, KLA, Hughes Aircraft, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin was his longest and last position with the Advanced Technology Center. During his career he had multiple patents, published work, and project milestones. Without question, Americans are safer because of a number of significant projects Gene contributed to in the defense industry. His innovative work was on the forefront and it built on the foundation of optical engineering laid by his esteemed mentors. He went on to mentor many behind him. 

 He was a member of the Royal Astronomical Society. This he was especially proud of since it is an honor reserved to a select few of which he was one. 

He had a 40 year track record of success in achieving form, fit, function, and a pizzazz factor in more than a dozen significant new products, from submillimeter diameter medical devices to airborne laser radars and meter class telescopes. 

 Gene’s philosophy was: "Our greatest failures come not in our knowing, but in our doing." 

 He attended New Mexico State University and Eastern New Mexico State where he studied geology and astronomy. 

 Gene served honorably in the Air Force during the Vietnam War.
Gene’s passion and ability for optics enabled him even greater enjoyment in his love for astronomy. Incredibly his third grade teacher inspired him with her love of astronomy. For 42 years his day job was optical engineering which allowed him the opportunity to design and build telescopes. Gene loved attending SPIE conferences and his local astronomy associations as those were the groups where he connected with his many friends and colleagues. 

 He was a man of faith, a Christian, who knew that redemption was the most significant truth to discover. Throughout his life in good times and the hard times, his faith in a loving God who redeems us to himself was a constant. However, he respected all religions. Even atheists and agnostics ranked among his friends. He never pushed his religious beliefs on anyone. 

Gene and his wife Denise enjoyed retirement life and traveling. A People to People trip to China thanks to Denise was one he said he would always remember-Beijing, Nanking, and Shanghai. The trip to the Isle of Wight was a highlight of his trips. He was treated to fish and chips by Denise’s friend, Shirly. Denise then took him to Greenwich to see the Prime Meridian. He had Denise take several shots of him standing on it. A trip had been planned to go to Paris to L'Observatoire de Paris in 2020, but sadly ALS entered his life. He constantly said one of his greatest passions was his love of Denise and making her happy. 

Gene was especially tender-hearted to his grandkids. No would argue that Gene had one of the best hearty laughs and we miss it already. He would say that he was blessed with a tremendously fortunate life and he was able to enjoy it with extraordinary people. His beaming smile and engaged presence will be missed. 

 Gene joins his beloved family in his passing, his father Eugene W Cross, Sr., his mother Beatrice Cross, and his sister Blythe Rogers. 

 He is survived by his wife Denise Stewart, his two sons Michael Ghali and Ian Cross, his two daughters Renee Ghali and Rene Robelin and his 9 grandchildren, Avary, Lily, Reanna, Robert, Shannon, Rosie, Jillian, Mariah, and Damian. 

A memorial celebration service for Gene is postponed and planned for the end of 2021. We look forward to your contributions to his memories. Instead of flowers, please make donations to the ALS Association
http://web.alsa.org/site/TR/P…

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