Gene was born in Kingston, New York and grew up in the nearby town of Port Ewen, on the Hudson River near the Catskill Mountains. While stationed at Offutt Air Force base in Omaha, Nebraska he met Patricia Tibken, of Wiota, Iowa, and they were married on November 13th, 1965. After some time living in Connecticut, California and Omaha (where he received a BS in Business Accounting from the University of Nebraska, Gene and Pat settled in Lincoln where they raised their three children. Gene worked for 34 years for the Nebraska Department of Revenue in various capacities until he retired in 2008. Throughout their lives together, and into retirement, they enjoyed numerous camping trips and family visits and travel throughout the country.
In 2015 his beloved wife Pat was diagnosed with Lung cancer. Gene devoted the following four years to caring for Pat, the love of his life. Despite the difficulty of the last several years, Gene maintained his signature wit and sense of humor. After Pat died he shifted his focus to his children and grandchildren, offering warmth and wisdom to our family.
Gene is survived by his sons, Mark Nilan (Colleen) and Jeff Nilan (Karen Weeks), along with his daughter, Alicia Hwang (Albert). Gene had six grandchildren; Walker and Avery Nilan (Jeff’s sons), Jackson and Nora Nilan (Mark’s children), and Alex and Owen Hwang (Alicia’s sons). Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Martin Paul and Ruth Nilan (Vandenberg) and his sister, Donna Nilan.
A funeral for Gene will be held on Thursday, June 23rd at 10:30 am at Messiah Lutheran Church, 1800 S 84th St. in Lincoln. Luncheon to follow. There will be a Burial on Friday, June 24th at 10:00 am at the Omaha National Cemetery, 14250 Schram Road in Omaha. If desired, friends may send memorial donations directly to the family for a charitable donation to be made in Gene’s memory at a later day.