Lloyd 'Gene' Eugene Covault

On Monday, August 28th Lloyd Eugene (Gene) Covault, husband, father, grandpa, brother and friend passed peacefully at his home after fighting lung cancer for a year and a half to be with the Lord. Gene will forever be remembered by his wife and best friend of 62 years Mary Lou, and their two children, son David Covault, Independence, Iowa and daughter Rachelle Hubble, Mahomet, along with their seven grandchildren - Jake Covault, Justin Covault, Crystal Hulse(Mike), Jack Hubble, Clayton (Clay) Hubble, Colton (Cole) Hubble and Elle Hubble and 1 great-grandchild, Emma Lou Covault.

Gene was born in Brooklyn, Iowa on January 5th, 1933. He grew up on a farm in the country just outside of Webster, Iowa during the Great Depression that was operated by horse power only. He rode his horse “Frisky” to and from school daily throughout the year even in the winter cold months. He graduated from Webster High School, Webster, Iowa in May of 1951.

He met Mary Lou Thompson , his wife in Seattle, Washington in 1953. They met while he was in the Navy in Bremerton, Washington and she was employed by Boeing Aircraft Seattle, Washington. They married one year later on December 11, 1954 at St. Anne’s Methodist church in Seattle, Washington on Queen Anne Hill.

Gene attended the U.S. Navy from June 1951 to June 1955. He attended radio school at the San Diego Naval Training Center where he served as a fleet locator at the federal office building San Francisco until June 1953. From June 1953 until honorable discharge June 1955 he served aboard an aircraft carrier USS Hancock CVA-19 where his passion for people and the flight industry began.

After his naval service he then worked at Walnut Dairy in Waterloo, Iowa as a wholesale ice cream salesman for four years and then at 7-Up bottling as a route salesman special event supervisor for the next 4 years after that. During this time he began flight training and started flying part-time. He completed his training for commercial –flight instructors rating in May 1963. He began his flight career as a flight instructor/charter pilot for a year and then began his full time flight career with Eastern Airlines in February 1964 till 1991 serving as a flight engineer instructor, First Officer, and then Captain eventually taking early retirement in 1987 due to Eastern Airlines closing. During his flight career he also maintained a farmette and garden with his wife and children for the family to enjoy when he was not flying and home with the family.

He loved adventure and life with him was an exciting journey for Mary Lou as they traveled and lived in many states during his flight career, until the children were school age and then they set their home base outside of Chicago in a rural farming community of Stillman Valley, Illinois for the children to stay in the same school throughout their childhood while Gene operated out of O’Hare International airport, Chicago, Illinois. Gene then was blessed with being able to enjoy the simple country life on his days off and the active business life while he was in flight. He was full of life, energy, passion and a great love for people.

In retirement he served as assistant director of the Rockford Rescue Mission, started a small business in the shopping mall areana, and then Gene, his wife and their son, David owned and operated Covault Trucking business. In his final years he drove a bus for Mahomet-Seymour school district and had the joy of being able to transport his grandchildren’s route to and from school and many sporting events, along with many other school children.

He served on the Stillman Valley School Board, Rockford Rescue Mission Board and was very active at his local church Kishwaukee Presbyterian church , serving as an Elder for many years.

His most favorite pastime was boating, especially houseboating on the Mississippi River. One very memorable houseboat adventure him , his wife and his aunt and uncle took was from Lake Altoona , Georgia to Lansing, Iowa which was around 1,400 miles by water. During the summer’s Gene would take a month off work. Then he and his wife would go to the Mississippi River with their two children and enjoy the water, sun and sandbars every day. He loved to make wonderful memories for his family and children, he always took time out to enjoy those he loved with fun adventures.

He loved ice cream and would often stop at the local ice cream stand in any small town and most recently dairy queen anytime he could get someone to enjoy some with him, especially his grandchildren. He loved root beer floats and would often enjoy them with his daughter and granddaughter, Elle.

He had a great love for the water and enjoyed swimming, fishing as well as boating very much especially when he could be with his family and grandchildren doing these activities. He loved the outdoors whether it was summertime camping by a lake or wintertime snowmobiling in the snow.

He enjoyed reading his bible daily and was a devout loving Christian man of integrity and tenderness. He also enjoyed hiking, horseback riding and especially hunting with his son and grandson, Jake in the great outdoors.

He is also survived by his by his brother Dale(Pat) White. He is predeceased by his mother, Stella White, step-father, Wesley White and his brother Keith (Ramona) White.

The Celebration of Life services for Gene Covault will be held at the Community Evangelical Free Church of Mahomet (102 West Riverbend Blvd. Mahomet) and are as follows: The Visitation is Friday, September 1st, from 5:00-7:00pm. Memorial Service is Saturday, September 2nd, at 11:00am.

The family would like to invite you to join them for a meal at the church following the funeral service.