Gene Edward Driver was born on March 22, 1934, at home, near Tenth Legion to the late Virginia Rhodes Driver and Harry E. Driver.  He was third of six children including brothers Robert E. Driver, James W. Driver, & Jackie Lee Driver and sisters Nancy Haggert & Barbara Clemmons Baker.  His family moved to Broadway in 1943.

Gene graduated from Broadway High School in 1951.  Following high school, he enlisted in the Air Force where he did his basic training at Sampson Air Base in New York and Air Police School at Camp Gordon, Georgia.  He served as an air policeman for four years, two of which were in Japan where his squadron airlifted war supplies to our soldiers and received the wounded out of Korea.   Following his discharge from the Air Force Gene was an active member of Company C National Guard for many years.

Gene attended Madison College under the GI Bill, graduating in 1960, when only one of every twelve students at the College were male.

In 1957 Gene married Betty Miller of Timberville.  Gene and Betty are the parents of four sons - Michael, Douglas, Mark, and Christopher. Daughter-In-Laws include Debbie, Gayle, Nicole & Stephanie. Gene and Betty have eight grandchildren: Travis Driver, Lindsay Driver Clarke, Clark Driver, Jordan Driver, Taylor Driver, Joseph Driver, Jacob Driver, Isabel Driver. Gene and Betty are great grandparents to six: Savannah, Luke, Jackson, Chase, Ava, and Ella.

Gene taught the 6 ^th grade for 31 years in the Rockingham County School system.  For many years during the summer, he managed the Plains District Memorial Park and Pool and the Broadway Community Park and Pool.  In this capacity he continued to mentor and supervise some of the same young people he taught in school.

Gene was active throughout his life.  He was a Waterfront Director at Camp Shenandoah Boy Scout Camp.  He was a scoutmaster of Boy Scouts of America Troop 152 in Broadway.  He served on the Board of Directors for the Upper Valley Regional Park Authority and was a member of the Plains Plodders Camping Club.  He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing, hiking and camping.  He was a member of the Izaak Walton League, the Sportsman's Alliance, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the National Rifle Association, and the Quality Deer Management Association.  He was a member of the Harrisonburg Rockingham Historical Society, the Shenandoah Folk Life Society, and a regular volunteer at the Plains District Memorial Museum.

In 1968 Gene co-founded a collector's club called the Historical Bottle Diggers of Virginia that is still active.  Gene was a lifetime collector.  He enjoyed collecting old bottles, particularly historical whiskey flasks.  Gene also amassed a large collection of native American Indian relics and was well known as a local authority on the subject. He had many other interests including Civil War relics, which was a natural outgrowth of his interest in history and our Shenandoah Valley was a prime site for exploration.  He also collected bullet molds, powder flasks, glass canes, and Early American Pattern Glass.

Gene was most proud of his four sons.  He also cherished his many friends and all of the students he taught throughout the years.

Pastor Angela Dunn will conduct a graveside service 2 P.M. Tuesday at the Rader Lutheran Church Cemetery in Timberville where social distancing and masks will be required per CDC Guidelines.

Gene's body will be cremated and has requested that his ashes be returned to nurture the mountains he so loved, his "heaven on earth".