Floyd "Gene" Milford, Jr.

Floyd Eugene "Gene" Milford, Jr, 87, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, December 15, 2023. He was born January 17, 1936, in Lake Charles, Louisiana and a resident of Houma since 1968. He was a Professional Civil Engineer and Land Surveyor.

Services will be at the Houma First United Methodist Church on Saturday, December 23, 2023. Visitation will be from 9 - 11am, church service at 11, burial to follow at Garden of Memories Cemetery in Gray. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Boy Scouts of America Troop 311 or Houma First Methodist Church Trustees.

He is survived by his children with Norma Nell Henry: daughter Myra Austin, Ed.D. (husband Billy) of Houma, and Floyd Milford III (wife Laura) of Houma; and children of his wife of 46 years, Rachel Green; Kevin A. Harris (wife Patty) of Missouri City, Texas, Lauren Worrell (husband James) of Houston, Texas, grandchildren: Lauren Austin Smith (husband Lance); Kristin Holloway Fuentes (husband Eric); Jake Austin; Kathryn Holloway; Nell Milford Fillman (husband Zachary); Kelsey McCoy Pagonis (husband Capt. Jeffrey); Floyd E. Milford IV; George Cruz; Stephen Harris; and 1st Lt. John Harris; Greatgrandchildren: Autumn Fuentes, Paxton and McKenzie Smith; Felix Alamis; and Makayla and Lincoln Pagonis.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Floyd Eugene Milford, Sr. of West Monroe, Ruth Louise Vincent of Lake Charles; wife Norma Nell Henry of Bastrop, Louisiana, and wife Rachel Green of Hazelhurst, Mississippi.

He was born as an only son to an electrician. His pastimes included cooking, woodworking, sailing, fishing and camping. He had a true love for the outdoors and helping others and in the early 1950's he became an Eagle Scout and Sea Scout through the Boy Scouts of America. As a civil engineer, he found that through a lifetime of service of building communities, he could stay true to himself and his love of the outdoors. Gene was a longtime member of the Houma First United Methodist Church, where he combined his talents for engineering and the desire to help others by volunteering as a teacher, trustee, and member of several committees.

He graduated in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science degree from Louisiana Tech in Ruston, Louisiana. From there he began working with the Louisiana Department of Transportation where he oversaw the construction of several sections of I-10 in the western part of the state. He moved up rapidly to the Head of Geometric Design in the Highway Dept. In the late 1960's, he moved to Houma to oversee several city paving projects and numerous infrastructure projects both in the public and private sectors. In 1978, Gene launched his own company with Theta II Enterprises, which later evolved into Milford & Associates, Inc., now owned by his son. His company recently celebrated its 45th year of service to the community.

For the past 65 years, Gene touched our lives in innumerable ways. Many of the roads we drive on, the subdivisions where our homes are built and the commercial centers where we shop and work are but a few of the areas where he benefited his community. Gene served as a role model for what it means to be a loving and caring husband and father, a doting grandfather and great grandfather, and a trusted friend and citizen. Gene's honesty, fairness, and kindness earn him a special place in the hearts of those who knew him and he will be deeply missed.