long time beagler Gene Benischek passes away

[rabbit chaser]

It's with a heavy heart that the club members let the beagling community know that the East Central Iowa Beagle club's founder and fearless leader Gene Benischek passed away last night. He had a heart attack late last week. I'll post a link to his obituary as becomes available. I know he had a lot of friends still all over the country from all the years of beagling and has probably forgotten more than I'll ever know.

[Casey Harner]

Prayers to his loved ones and close friends.

[WELLS WOODS]

Gene will be missed all over the Mid-West. He was a great supporter of the trials & was a humble competitor that always showed good sportsmanship. He loved his home club of East Central Iowa.

[jdmart]

I hate to hear that....he will be dearly missed and the beagle community has lost a heck of guy.

[Big River Beagles S]

very sorry to hear he was always a very nice fellow and a gracious host everytime I made it to the trial

[mybeagles]

Great guy.... He will be missed for sure and Iowa will never be the same for me.

I'll never forget the time I rode with him to a trial in the upper peninsula....he would occasionally doze off while drive but wake up just in time as the cigarette would burn his hand!

RIP for one of the champions of the sport.

[brfhounds]

Im so sorry to hear that. Iowa was one of my favorite trials. And its always the people that make trials memorable for me..

[Jeremy Mapes]

Praying for his family and friends

[BG BEAGLER]

Met gene twice...man of few words when I was around him....first guy I ever saw enter a 3 legged dog in a trial....I'll never forget that...RIP

[rmhandy2]

Gene was a great guy while I was in college in Louisiana he would always bring truck loaded dogs with them to the trials. He was a true gentleman..

[Ohiohntr]

I'll never forget the first time I met Gene at the Illinois trial....he had dogs tied to what looked like every piece of his truck. He turned two big males loose and they were GONE...I mean, GONE...I walked up to him and said "do you wanna try getting them back in"....he said "naw, they will be back".

Sure enough a couple packs later we had dual color collars in our pack and we had to leash them up....I took one to Gene and he just smiled at me and said "told ya they would be back"...lol.

Another memory is seeing his 3 legged dog run....after being in the bar the night before it had me wondering if I was counting right.

The beagling world lost a very dedicated soft spoken individual and he will no doubt be missed....prayers to Gene's loved ones.

[Slaux]

So sorry to hear....Gene was a great guy, as referenced in the above posts - which were spot on. First time I met him he and a partner, who's name I can't recall, were sleeping on the picnic tables inside the N.E.W. Clubhouse when my dad and I arrived for a trial at about 5:00 a.m. back in the mid 80's. I don't think he had much sleep as it looked like they just put their heads down....Such a gentlemen, who always had some nice hounds....My condolences to his many friends and family...RIP.

[tom summers]

What a fantastic guy and a huge loss to beagle world. As said before seeing Gene at trials with more hounds that you could count and he would handle them all well he would turn them loose and the dogs came back when ready it was alot of fun . Always great when he and Ken lewis rode together good times. He was a gentleman ALL the time and a great sport when he lost or won . He will be missed at thier club and all those visited.

[jdmart]

Anybody from Iowa know the arrangements for Gene's funeral service. I can't find it on the internet.

Thanks

[redpup]

Sorry to here about Gene passing. Great guy. RIP Gene