Gene F. Briggs, 76, passed away May 8. He was the husband of Mary F. (Kiselica) Briggs. Born in Pensacola, Fla., he was a son of the late Charles and Cleo Ann (Wetmore) Briggs.

In 1967 he married Mary, the girl from the beach at Chepiwanoxet. Fast friends and never apart, they were truly a wonderful couple. He served in the U.S. Army, Air Cavalry, as a helicopter mechanic.

Boarding their sailboat (41’ Morgan OutIslander) in 1992, they retired to the Caribbean. Their adventure took them to many tropical locations before they finally settled in Florida, first Key West followed by Wilbur-By-The-Sea. Here Gene owned and operated a Tow Boat US franchise.    

Among his many life accomplishments, he was very proud of owning the Radio Shack franchise in North Kingstown, being a sought-after regional sales manager for several copier sales companies including Gestetner and Sanyo, and running for mayor of Warwick. He also was a member of the East Greenwich Rotary, a founding member of the Chepiwanoxet Neighbor Association, and past commodore of West Bay Yacht Club. 

His 100-ton Master Captain’s License (USCG) allowed him to charter his prized sailboat, operate the launch at Norton’s Shipyard, and the Amazing Grace tour boat in Newport.    

Captain Gene, as he became known, lived life to the fullest. Big personality, big heart, big camera and a big Rum and Coke! 

Besides his wife he is survived by his daughter, Julie M. LeBlanc, and two grandchildren, James and Jackson LeBlanc.

A Memorial Service will be celebrated on Tuesday, May 16, at 6 p.m. at the Hill Funeral Home, 822 Main St., East Greenwich. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 4 to 6 p.m. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the charity of your choice.  

You can leave an online condolence at the Hill Funeral Home website HERE.

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

EG News Obituary Policy: We post obituaries relevant to our readers. If you would like to share an obituary, send it to [email protected]. Put “obituary” in the subject line. 

Posted 5/10/23