Gene McLoughlin, resident of Friday Harbor from 2001 to 2017, passed away peacefully at the age of 76 on July 22, 2025 in Eureka, California. Gene was surrounded by members of his loving family at the time of his passing.

Gene was born on May 30, 1949 in Phoenix, AZ, but grew up in Connecticut, Florida, and Massachusetts. Gene moved to Haight Ashbury in San Francisco as a young man during the Summer of Love in 1967, and it was there that he had the motorcycle accident that forever changed his life. In 1971, at the age of 21, Gene was hit by a drunk driver, and his head struck a fire hydrant. Left with severe brain damage and paralysis on half of his body, Gene spent the next several years living in California while his 4 siblings, Annie, Janet, Mark (with wife Suni), and Noel (with husband Duffy), took turns caring for him.

Gene moved to Arcata, CA to live with his brother, Mark, and his family in 1974, and while there he worked at Redwoods United where he helped make redwood planters and redwood cutting boards. He also took many art classes and adaptive PE classes at College of the Redwoods. During his years in Arcata, Gene could often be seen by local residents walking along on his cane, and planting flower seeds and bulbs wherever he found a patch of bare earth.

In 1988, Gene moved to live with his sister, Noel and her family in Berkeley, CA, and he then traveled with his sister’s family to Friday Harbor, WA, in 2000. At that time, he moved into Islands Convalescent Center (Life Care Center of the San Juans) where he lived until the center closed in 2017. He then spent a short time at the Life Care Center in Mt. Vernon, WA, but moved back to Arcata, CA to be close to his brother Mark in 2018.

Gene loved living in Friday Harbor, and he spent most weekend days at his sister’s home either helping her in the garden or watching football or baseball with his brother in law.

Although Gene’s accident left him severely disabled, Gene nevertheless had a positive outlook on life. He loved Mickey Mouse. He loved to plant flowers. He loved to create art. He loved to laugh, and he loved to sing. Gene was a gifted artist before his accident, and he took up pottery during his rehabilitation. Over the years he made hundreds of cups with his one good hand, and those were all given to family members and friends as gifts.

Gene’s family would like to send a heartfelt thanks to every employee that worked and cared for him at the Convalescent Center during the years that he lived there, as well as a big thank you to the staff at Friday Harbor Dentistry for taking such good care of Gene’s dental hygiene. Gene’s family would also like to thank the local artists that took time to go to the center and do pottery with him over the years, as well as a wonderful local lawyer that provided Gene and his family with legal care. You know who you are, and you are all much appreciated.

Gene is survived by his brother Mark and wife Suni Mahoney, his sister Noel and husband Duffy Harley, his nieces and nephews: Jim G, Eli and wife Sandy; Megan and husband Abe; Kiva and husband Mark; Jim and wife Sarah, Shea and wife Sara, Emma and partner Rich, and his many great nieces and nephews: John, Abigail, Roisin, Fionnuala, Aveline, Serena, Aleta, Aeson, Stevie, Erik, Shayna, Dylan, Samantha, Simeon Rose, Kai’ona, Elias, Praline, Sage, Lily, Haisley, Hendricks, Nick and Nicole.

Gene’s family will have a private memorial/celebration of life for him in Arcata, CA on August 17th.

In Gene’s memory, his family would like everyone to remember to never drive under the influence, and to protect your head when you are on a motorcycle, bike, skateboard – anything with wheels – and as Gene would often say, “Wear a helmet!”