Eugene "Gene" Paul Burdick, 72, of Fort Pierre, SD and formerly of Redfield, SD, passed away peacefully on Monday, November 18, 2019, at Avera McKennan Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD.  Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. on Friday, November 22, 2019, at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Redfield.  Reverend Tom Anderson will officiate.  Burial, with military honors, will follow at St. Bernard Catholic Cemetery in Redfield.

Visitation will be Thursday, November 21, 2019, from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., at Hyke Funeral Home in Redfield.  Family will be present starting at 6:00 p.m. to accept condolences.  A Scriptural Prayer Service will begin at 7:00 p.m. with the Rosary led by the Knights of Columbus. Arrangements have been entrusted to Hyke Funeral Home.  (www.hykefuneralhome.com)

Eugene "Gene" Paul Burdick was born on November 16, 1947, in Huron, SD to Steve and Elnora (Kauth) Burdick.  He graduated from Huron High School in 1966 and furthered his education at Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, SD.  He graduated from Machine Tool Technology in 1982.

On July 21, 1984, Gene married Lucy Younkin in Huron.  Gene and Lucy, together with Gene's brother, Jim and his wife, Deborah, started Burdick Bros. Machine & Repair in Redfield, SD in February of 1985.  Gene and Jim were selected as the 2001 South Dakota Businesspersons of the Year.  Gene loved the challenges of machining parts and getting equipment up and running again.  In 2012, Gene retired for health reasons and Jim and Deborah continued the business.

Gene proudly served 20 years in the Army National Guard with the 153rd Engineer Battalion in Huron.  He was active with Cub Scouts in Redfield and served as Cubmaster for Pack 128 and was chosen for the Cubmaster of the Year award.  He was a member of St. Bernard Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus.

His hobbies kept Gene busy outside of work.  He enjoyed archery, bicycling, photography, astronomy, and woodworking.  He built an oak spiral staircase by looking at a picture in a magazine and he also created a cedar canoe.  Gene was always willing to try anything and had been working on making a 16" telescope from scratch.

Family was always Gene's priority.  He especially enjoyed spending time with his four grandchildren.  Gene always had a smile for everyone and did his best to assist anyone needing a helping hand.

He will be greatly missed by his loving wife, Lucy of Ft. Pierre; three children:  Alyssa (Casey) Opland of Canton, SD; Paul (Courtney) Burdick of Wilsonville, OR; and Elizabeth Burdick of Ft. Pierre; and grandchildren:  Alex, Ethan, Isaiah, and Claire.  Gene is also survived by his mother Elnora Burdick of Redfield; four siblings:  Don (Judy) Burdick of Huron; Susan (Mark) Tokach of Yankton, SD; Jim (Deborah) Burdick of Redfield; and Gerry (Julie) Burdick of Rapid City, SD; as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Preceding Gene in death were his father Steve; nephew Thomas Burdick; and all his aunts and uncles.

Memorials may be directed to support research in Gene's memory to: The Aneurysm and AVM Foundation - 3636 Castro Valley Blvd., Suite 3 - Castro Valley, CA - 94546