Gene House

Gene House died Wednesday evening May 15, 2025, at 11:45 Powers Cottage on the campus of St. John's United. He and his wife Elaine resided at Mission Ridge for 10 years, moving to The Vista last year. Gene moved to Powers Cottage a little over a month ag He was headed there last summer but had to return.

Gene's parents moved to Billings, MT. with their children where they owned the transportation company providing all the local school and city buses. Gene's elementary school education began in Lockwood, MT. which started in a two-room schoolhouse.

Later he became a track star, winning state championships before graduating Billings Senior High in 1957. Gene earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Wyoming. After college he was recruited by Pratt & Whitney Aircraft to help design a classified project, the engine for the SR 71 Blackbird spy plane in West Palm Beach FL. At the time, he had no idea for what he was building the engine. He did a great deal of things including running his parents' Transportation Company,; a GMC Dealership in Billings, and a bus company operating in Alaska and Billings.

Elaine Kindsfater-Stoltz and Gene met in a singles dance mixer where Elaine asked him to dance and the rest is history. They loved Latin dancing; dancing the "Cha-Cha" to the song Neon Moon was their favorite exercise. They married on Valentine's Day in 1995 because as Gene wanted a date he could remember. They were married for 30 years and together, they have three children: Cindy and, Michelle House, and Alison Stoltz (Mark Day) Red Lodge, Granddaughter Elizabeth Stoltz (Justin Day) and great-grandchildren, Jaxon and Lillian Stoltz of Red Lodge, .

Gene retired from the City of Billings as the para-transit coordinator. In retirement, he remained active in the community, managing the Ronald McDonald Caremobile—a mobile dental clinic that served children in outlying schools. He and Elaine lived at Mission Ridge for 10 years before moving to The Vista in 2024. Just over a month ago, He moved to Powers Cottage at St. John's United, where he passed away peacefully on the evening of May 15, 2025.

Services have not yet been scheduled.