Eugene Charles Borstel Jr.'s Obituary
Eugene Charles Borstel, Jr.
September 19, 1945 - July 5, 2025
Eugene Charles Borstel, Jr., known to all as Gene, passed away peacefully at home in Oakland, California on July 5th, 2025, surrounded by his loving family, after a courageous battle with lung cancer. He was 79 years old.
Born on September 19, 1945 in Mineola, New York, to Eugene Charles and May Borstel, Gene was the eldest son of five children. He attended Mineola High School, where he became a Hall of Fame football star, helping lead his team to an undefeated season. Gene went on to attend Rutgers University on an athletic scholarship, graduating in 1967 with a BA in Art & History. He was a proud member of the Chi Psi fraternity.
A natural entrepreneur, Gene’s passion for business began at age 12 with a weekly bicycle newspaper route. His formal career flourished at Oregon Tool, a global chainsaw manufacturer, where he excelled in sales and marketing, earning a promotion at 33 to general manager of their Brazilian operations in Curitiba. In 2003, drawing on his deep knowledge of Brazil's industrial market, he co-founded Itubombas, a specialty rental company providing innovative water pumping solutions to heavy industry, which he successfully led and sold to Atlas Copco in 2017.
In 1999, Gene married Sandy Silva, at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco after a whirlwind engagement. At the heart of their marriage was a shared passion for family and their commitment to making their blended family thrive.
Gene lived a life defined by generosity, loyalty, persistence, and integrity. He cherished his role as a grandfather and possessed a deep love of history. An avid traveler, he explored 48 states and dozens of countries across five continents. His passion for skiing endured well into his 70s, as he enjoyed hitting the slopes with his grandchildren.
Gene is survived by his beloved wife Sandy; Kathie Millett, the mother of his children; children Tripp Borstel (Laura Billings), Sydney Borstel (Christian Bedon), and stepson KC Bly (Sarah Owens); grandchildren Theo, Santiago, Isabella, Robert, and Elena; and siblings Karen Rice (Ken), Wendy Bouchard (Douglas), and Douglas Borstel (Paula).
His final words beautifully captured his spirit: "I love all my children, and I am not sad."
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