Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Gene England, founder of C.R. England, died at 105, leaving behind a long and decorated legacy.
- He was a pioneer in the trucking industry, driving millions of miles throughout his career.
- Gene England's dedication to trucking and family was central to his life.
SALT LAKE CITY — Gene England, founder of Utah-based trucking giant C.R. England, died last week at 105 years old, the company announced.
His son, Dan England, who serves as the C.R. England chairman, said his father passed away peacefully after a long and full life.
"He was a great dad. The thing that my brothers and I loved most was when he'd take us with him, whether it was on a truck or doing some other kind of work," Dan England said. "He always had time for us."
Born and raised in Plain City, Gene England was known as a pioneer in the trucking industry and a beloved husband, brother, father and grandfather.
"As a transportation industry icon, he was one of the original truckers, driving millions of miles throughout his life while leading the company with his brother, sons and grandchildren. Despite his many responsibilities in the office, Gene England had a passion to get behind the wheel and get the work done as a professional driver," the company said in a statement.
Gene England always knew he wanted to drive trucks, too, just like his father, Chester England.
Chester England started his own trucking business buying produce from the valley and trucking it to areas around Cache Valley and up to Wyoming in the 1920s, bringing along Gene England and his brother, Bill England, whenever possible.
"He was the one father in town that had a truck, and it gave me a chance to avoid being out on the farm, hoeing beets and things, and I could go with him in the truck; what a wonderful life it was," Gene England said in a 2019 interview with KSL.com.
Even after that early seed was planted, Gene England took a winding path to follow in his father's footsteps.
As a young adult, he spent some time at Brigham Young University before he met and married his wife, June Daniels, in 1940. Soon after, he served his country in Okinawa, Japan in World War II, earning the distinction of a war hero with a Bronze Star.
Dan England said he was recently reading "The Greatest Generation" by Tom Brokaw and was reminded of his father by how Brokaw described that generation — one that lived through the Great Depression and went on to either fight in World War II or provide valuable contributions along the home front.
"He described the people of that generation as having common values such as duty, honor, economy, courage, service, love of family and country," Dan England said. "In his life, he exhibited all of those."
After returning from war, Gene England didn't have much money but he "never had any feelings of entitlement or expectations that he should be rewarded by his government," Dan England said.
"He just went to work with a great work ethic and achieved things and was always humble about it," he added.
Even after turning 100 in 2019, Gene England still came to work, taking care of a car leasing company he started some time ago with his brother, Bill England.
"There are over 100 people in the state of Utah that are over 100 years of age. I'm very happy to (have been) able to reach an age and condition that allows me to do the things that I do and I don't take pills. So I'm kind of an unusual guy in a little way," Gene England said ahead of his 100th birthday.
He is described as a "lifelong advocate" for truck drivers and the trucking industry in general, working to promote the importance of the profession that captivated him as a young boy.
"He leaves behind a legacy of integrity, hard work and a deep commitment to those who keep our country moving," said the company. "Gene England's passing is a great loss to the C.R. England family and the trucking industry at large. His legacy will live on through the lives he touched and the company he built."
