Eugene Lee Colclasure was born in Norman, Oklahoma on December 14, 1932, to Cecil and Mary Ruth Colclasure. The family moved to Cherokee, Oklahoma where they relocated for his father to own a pharmacy. He graduated from Cherokee High School and was a member of the football team. Growing up, he enjoyed travel and summer work in Colorado including in the Durango area. From that early travel, he always enjoyed hiking, camping and snow skiing in the Rockies.


He attended Oklahoma State University where he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and also met his future wife, Shirley Ann Smith of Apache, Oklahoma. Gene left Oklahoma State to attend the University of Colorado for their Pharmacy program. After college, Mr. Colclasure served in the U.S. Army domestically, working on Engineering projects. Mr. Colclasure and Ms. Smith were married in Apache, Oklahoma on June 12, 1955.


Early in his career, he and his family lived in Odessa, Texas where he was employed by Eli Lilly as a pharmaceutical sales representative. In 1968, the family relocated to Stillwater, Oklahoma and acquired the retail store and pharmacy Cecil's in the Student Union of the Oklahoma State University campus which was started by Mr. Colclasure's parents. While in Stillwater, the family stayed active with school and travel, often camping and skiing in Colorado and New Mexico. All of his children graduated from Oklahoma State University and enjoyed growing up on campus.


Throughout his life he was an enthusiast of sports cars and car racing, small airplanes as a private pilot, sailing which included a number of sailboat charters in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and snow skiing. He was an accomplished woodworker, artist and food connoisseur. Gene was a lifelong entrepreneur and enjoyed study and conversation. Later in life he enjoyed motorcycling, both locally, where he enjoyed the camaraderie of others who rode, and also on cross country trips to the Rockies and even Michigan.

Eugene was preceded in death in 2010, by his wife of more than 50 years, Shirley Colclasure.

He is survived by his sister Karen Reinholtz and her husband Gerald Reinholtz of Edmond, Oklahoma as well as four children Jon Colclasure and his wife Lori of West Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Tanya Raun of Stillwater, Oklahoma, Cecilee Stone and her husband Nate of Beverly Hills, Michigan, and Jessica Henson of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Gene and Shirley were blessed with twelve grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

In Lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests that donations be made to the OSU Foundation. Checks should be made payable to the OSU Foundation and mailed to PO Box 1749, Stillwater, OK 74074-1749 or gifts can be made online at osugiving.com. Please note your donation, it is in memory of Eugene Colclasure.