PUTNAM, CT – Gene M. Dumas of New York City died Thursday, December 5, 2013. He was 71. A memorial service was held at the Ordinary Mind Zendo in Manhattan shortly after his death and burial was private in Webster, Massachusetts.
Born on July 21, 1942, Gene grew up in Putnam, the son of the late Marcel Dumas and Veronica (Reich) Rich. He was a graduate of Putnam High School and Fairfield University. An executive in the insurance industry, he lived overseas for many years in Malaysia, Sierra Leone and in Ecuador. During his extensive career he was employed by AFIA, Sedgewick and eventually retired from Marsh & McLellan where he had been in charge of the Pfizer insurance account. He was a resident of Manhattan for over forty years and truly enjoyed being an active New Yorker.
Gene was enthusiastic about traveling and journeyed to places all over the world. A voracious reader, he was never without several books to read and enjoy. He loved food and exploring new restaurants. A profound thinker, he studied philosophy and the art of meditation. Gene was an active member of the Ordinary Mind Zendo in New York City where a celebration of his life will be held at 1:00 in the afternoon on January 12, 2014. Family and friends are invited to attend to honor and remember Gene’s life.
He is survived by his mother Veronica Rich of Webster, Massachusetts, his stepbrother Read Rich and his wife Lorraine of Brunswick, Maine, several cousins and many friends in New York City and elsewhere. Memorial donations may be made to the Ordinary Mind Zendo, 107 West 74th Street, Unit BR, New York, New York 10023. Burial arrangements were made by Scanlon Funeral Service, 38 East Main Street, Webster, MA.