Gene and Mae Whitehead were among the charter members of the Texas Cushman Club. At # 22, they spent the years since 1983 as life-long members. Our condolences to the friends and family of Gene and Mae.
From the Alamogordo newspaper:
Walter Eugene (Gene) Whitehead passed away on March 1, 2023 in Gainesville, Texas. He was born on February 29, 1936 in Roswell, New Mexico to Al and Lolis Whitehead. Gene was a “leap year baby” He often joked that in his 87 years he had only celebrated 21 actual birthdays. Gene Whitehead attended Roswell public schools and following graduation from Roswell High in 1955 he went to work for Spitzer Electric Company. A few years later, Gene met the love of his life, Addie Mae Seeds, on a blind date and they were married on January 23, 1959 in Roswell, NM. In 1958, he began his career with Mountain States telephone company, climbing poles and working as a lineman and installer. Ultimately, he became an area manager for Mountain Bell telephone, first in Deming, NM and then Alamogordo, NM, where he retired in 1990. Never one to sit still, at the age of 58 Gene launched a brand-new career as a school bus driver for Alamogordo Public Schools, a job that enriched his life for nearly 20 years. As part of an overseas assignment for AT&T, Gene and Mae traveled to the country of Iran in 1977, and in 1979 they were part of an emergency evacuation during the fall of Tehran and the Iranian Revolution. While living in the Middle East they enjoyed visits to the Holy Land as well as leisure travel in many European countries. Gene and Mae were motorcycle enthusiasts and members of the Retreads International Motorcycle Club, traveling coast to coast and border to border on two wheels. Gene Whitehead believed one should serve their community and he led by example. He was a Boy Scout and Scout Explorer leader as well as Sunday School teacher and youth leader in the churches that he and Mae attended. At various times, he was a member of Toastmasters International, Lions Club International and Rotary International. Gene served in public office as city council member in Deming, NM from 1975-1976. He was a private pilot and produced several airshows in Deming in the 1970’s that raised money for local charities. While living in Alamogordo he made numerous trips to the interior of Mexico assisting the late Dr. Donald Ham with cataract surgeries in remote impoverished communities. During summer months when he wasn’t driving a school bus, Gene and Mae laid down tens of thousands of miles pulling their Airstream trailer from state to state, and even in to Mexico. They cherished the company and fellowship of good friends in the RV community. For fun, Gene enjoyed restoring his beloved Cushman scooters (he completed over 15 total restorations), square dancing with Mae, tending to their meticulously landscaped yard, being on the hot air balloon chase team and spending time at their cabin in Ruidoso. Gene loved exploring historic sites in Lincoln and Otero county in their 4×4 Jimmy and was active for many years in the Tularosa Basin Historical Society. His handiwork lives on in some of the displays at the museum in Alamogordo. He was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Addie Mae Whitehead, sons Allen Gene Whitehead and John Michael (Mike) Whitehead, sisters Betty Ann Elliott and Betty Lou Snyder, and granddaughter Samantha Stilger. He is survived by a son, Patrick (Julie) Whitehead of Cooke County, TX, brother Al (Lacy) Whitehead of Tulsa, OK, sister Peggy Sue Pick of Albuquerque, NM, daughter in law Donna Yates Whitehead of Roswell, NM and brother-in-law George (Lynn) Seeds of Alamogordo, NM. To cherish his memory as “Grampa”, Gene leaves behind 8 adoring granddaughters, 10 great grandchildren and 7 great-great grandchildren. Their lives were made richer with the time and love that he and Mae gave each of them. The family would like to thank the Alamogordo Sr. Center, the congregation of New Heart Cowboy Church and especially Carmen Sainz for all of the love, care and support that they extended to Gene and our family these past few years. No services are planned at this time, however at a later date in the year both Gene and Mae Whitehead will be memorialized at the Fort Stanton State Veterans Cemetery in Lincoln County, NM.
Link to Mae’s obituary https://www.gannett-cdn.com/community-hub/images/prod/images/f135ea23-fe65-4719-9b8c-bf6aa08742e2/obituary/4c2d6387-b0b3-4d61-97ef-3bb9d5ce7433.jpg?width=360&fit=bounds
Addie Mae Whitehead passed away on Christmas Day, December 25, 2022 at Eagle Ridge Memory Care in Denton, Texas. She was a follower of Jesus Christ and her family thought it most fitting that she pass through the gate and into the arms of our lord on the very day we celebrate his birth. Addie Mae was born on October 1, 1933 in Ada, Oklahoma to Harry Allen Seeds and Katy Estelene Seeds. She moved with her family to Roswell, New Mexico in 1949 and In January of 1959 she married Walter Eugene (Gene) Whitehead. In later years, she also resided in Deming, NM, Cloudcroft NM and Alamogordo NM. Mae and Gene lived in Tehran, Iran from 1977 – 1979 where Gene was employed by Bell Telephone. They were evacuated back to the United States during the height of the Iranian revolution. Throughout her life Addie Mae felt the call to serve others. As a young woman, she was a licensed vocational nurse, caring for patients at St. Mary’s Hospital in Roswell. While in Deming, she co-founded and managed the El Paisano Day Care, a non-profit facility for physically and mentally handicapped preschoolers. She freely gave of her time as a Sunday school teacher, a church youth leader, a Scout leader and a community fund raiser. Addie Mae served many years as a member of the Hospital Auxiliary at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in Alamogordo. Addie Mae was a skilled seamstress, an excellent cook, decorator and all-round homemaker. She managed to raise three active boys while working outside the home much of the time, yet still achieving balance between her professional life and her family life. In later years, she cherished time with her grandchildren, passing on to them her love for cooking, baking, sewing and outdoor activities. Mae and Gene did everything together and they always maintained a large and diverse circle of friends. Activities like square dancing, church socials, motorcycle riding, RV ownership and their interest in southwest history, always placed them in the presence of other interesting and like-minded people. She was proud of her family’s native American history and was a registered member of the Delaware Lenape Indian Tribe. Addie Mae Whitehead was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Dottie Lou Moore, Hattie Faye Webster and Martha June Langdon, her two oldest sons Allen Gene Whitehead and John Michael Whitehead, and one granddaughter, Samantha Stilger. She is survived by her husband Gene Whitehead presently of Denton, Texas, a brother George (Lynn) Seeds of Alamogordo, New Mexico, a sister Patrique Gryvnak of California, a son, Patrick (Julie) Whitehead of Cooke County, Texas and daughter-in-law Donna Whitehead of Roswell, New Mexico. Addie Mae also leaves behind her legacy of 8 beautiful granddaughters, 10 great grand-children and 7 great-great-grandchildren.
From Patrick Whitehead’s letter of July 10, 2023:
My father, Gene Whitehead, was a long-time member of the Texas Cushman club. I wanted to let you, and the membership, know that he passed away on March 1st of this year. He died on his 87th birthday. Dad lived in Alamogordo, New Mexico up until 2022 when health issues made it necessary to relocate him closer to us here in Cooke County, near Gainesville, TX.
Dad was active in the national organization as well, having appeared on the cover of the Cushman magazine years ago. He had done complete restorations on over 12 scooters and had been recognized many times with first place showings in competitions.
Gene Whitehead not only enjoyed the work of restoring the scooters, but he loved the fellowship that came with the annual meets. My wife and I attended the Texas meet in Abilene 7 or 8 years ago with Dad and my mom, Mae Whitehead.
A gift for the club was mailed to Jane Press on behalf of our family.
Thank you to the club for providing so many years of enjoyment for Gene and Mae Whitehead. Patrick Whitehead
Texas Cushman Club, Inc. 
