Eugene “Gene” Lee Marz

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Eugene “Gene” Lee Marz, 70, of Kearney, passed away on April 23, 2026. Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on August 13, 1955, to Fritz and Ellen May (Leichsenring) Marz.

Gene spent most of his life in eastern Iowa. He was raised in Homestead, Iowa, and attended school in Amana. He then attended Southeast Community College in Nebraska and graduated with a degree in design drafting. His first job was with FMC Link-Belt in Cedar Rapids. In 1984, he began working for Design Engineers and was an employee for over 40 years until his retirement.

Gene loved spending time with his family. He enjoyed going to live theatre performances, going on family trips, watching his favorite teams, the Iowa Hawkeyes and Chicago Cubs, and just “hanging out” playing cards with his family. He was an avid bicycler and woodworker. When he was home, he loved spending time with his cat.

Gene is preceded in death by his parents and granddaughter, Alexis Rae Urbanek.

Gene is survived by his wife, Debra (Friesen); son, Jacob (Jen Cresswell); daughter, Corey (Bryce) Urbanek; grandchildren, Collin and Cassandra; sister, Geri Marz; sister-in-law, Lu Zoller; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A graveside memorial service for Gene will be held at the Homestead, Iowa, Cemetery on May 23, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Crane River Theater (Kearney, NE), American Cancer Society, your local arts community or animal rescue organization.

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Services

May23

Graveside Memorial Service

11:00 am

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Share a Memory or Condolence

May 30, 2026

Deb and Family We are so sorry to hear of Gene’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and the entire family.

– Fred & Judy Mittan

May 16, 2026

Deb and family, we are sorry for your loss. Treasure the great memories and love that remain.

– Tracy and Eric Petersen

May 1, 2026

I am so sorry to hear of Gene’s passing. He was a good friend of mine growing up in Amana. We kept in touch over the years and it was always fun seeing him at our high school class reunions. My thoughts and prayers are with his family; I will miss most his humor and good-natured personality.

– Barry Oehler

April 30, 2026

Deb, Corey and Jake, We are so sorry to hear of Gene’s passing. We have such great memories of Gene during our days at Jefferson as Band and Show Choir parents! May your treasured memories bring peace and healing as you move forward. Laura and Mike Dawson

– Laura Dawson

April 27, 2026

Marz Family – so sorry for your loss. I had the privilege of working with Gene for many years, he was a wonderful person that taught me a lot over the years. I will always remember our many conversations while refilling our coffee, whether it was about how the Cubs did the night before or what Jake or Corey were up to – he was always very proud of his children. We will all miss him, may he rest in peace.

– Justin Marxen

April 25, 2026

So sorry for your loss.

– Kelly Larrison

April 25, 2026

Gene joined Design Engineers in 1984 as employee #2, and was a fixture here through 2023. For those of us who had the privilege of working alongside him, Gene was simply part of the fabric of DE. He served as our sole plumbing designer for many years — capably handling work that touched nearly every project that moved through our doors. On top of that, he managed DE’s IT systems, keeping the technology running behind the scenes so the rest of us could focus on our work. Even after he retired, we’ve continued to benefit from his work every day. The systems, the standards, and the institutional know-how he helped build are still part of how we operate. Gene will be remembered for his knowledge and dedication to this firm and the people in it. I worked with Gene for my entire career at DE, and his passing feels personal in a way that is hard to put into words. He was a fixture, a colleague, and a friend. With gratitude for a life well-lived and a career well-spent,