Clair Eugene Averill Jr.

Clair Eugene Averill, Jr. (aka “Gene Averill”) age 76, passed away at his home near Ririe, ID on Wednesday, February 1, 2018. Gene was born October 25, 1941 in Los Angeles, California, the son of Bertha Ruth Olsen and Clair Eugene Averill, Sr. Over the years, Gene moved around with his parents and two younger brothers (Richard and David) and lived in various cities including Salt Lake City, UT, Phoenix, AZ and Bellevue, ID.  Gene learned the value of hard work during his youth as he would often buck hay bales, pick cherries and thin rows of beets to earn extra money.  Gene was a lifelong fisherman.  He cherished his memories of fishing with his father, Clair, in the mountains of Utah and Idaho, and he welcomed any opportunity to go fishing with his own children and grandchildren. At the age of 14, Gene met Gayle Lynne Payne at an LDS stake youth dance. They have been together ever since.  Gene gained a reputation during his teenage years in the 1950’s for rebuilding and hot-rodding cars on State Street in Salt Lake City, UT.  On September 3, 1960, Gene married Gayle in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Their marriage was later solemnized in the San Diego, California LDS Temple on December 26, 2001.  Gene attended West High School in Salt Lake City, Utah before joining the United States Marine Corps at the age of 17. After serving as a young artillery officer, Gene gained invaluable experience in logistics and supply chain management during his 23-year career with the United States Marine Corps.  As a Lt. Colonel, Gene was responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of 50 warehouses for the Defense Logistics Agency in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.  Over the course of his military career, Gene was stationed at and/or lived on or near military bases in the following locations: Camp Pendleton in Southern California, Quantico, VA, Whidbey Island, WA, Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii, Vietnam, Okinawa, Japan, Camp Lejeune, NC, Norfolk, VA, and Mechanicsburg, PA. While Gene’s bravery and heroic acts on the battlefields of Vietnam earned him a Bronze Star with Valor, it was his relationships with people that he valued most. Gene retired from the military in 1981 and was hired by McDonnell Douglas to develop, sell and support supply chain software technology. This job required that he move with his family from Mechanicsburg, PA to Garden Grove, CA. After five years of working for McDonnell Douglas, Gene seized an opportunity to venture out on his own and start C. E. Averill & Associates (aka Demand Solutions West). Gene partnered with a friend by the name of Steve Johnston to develop a demand planning software system and brand that would come to be known as “Demand Solutions.” Gene made many lifelong friends while working under the Demand Solutions banner. It was at this time that his love for fishing persuaded him to move to Canyon Lake, CA where he could write computer software and enjoy the local convenience of fishing any time he wanted. It was during the 20-year period that Gene lived in Canyon Lake that he solidified his LDS faith and gained a testimony of the savior Jesus Christ. Gene made many friends in the Canyon Lake Ward (now called the Canyon Hills Ward) who became very dear to him.  Gene had the opportunity to serve in many capacities while in the Canyon Lake Ward, including High Priest Group Leader.  His favorite calling was that of a home teacher.  Gene welcomed accepting home teaching assignments to those who were less known in the Ward or not known at all.  Gene once had 20 such families assigned to him at the same time and he consistently visited them all.  Through his home teaching service, Gene gained opportunities to share the Gospel and to baptize.  During the open house of the LDS Redlands, CA Temple, Gene was asked to serve with Gayle as Temple Tour Guides, an assignment that he cherished. Gene’s love for fly fishing would eventually draw him back to Idaho. In 2008, Gene decided to leave Demand Solutions with his son, Jason Averill, and son-in-law, Clark Johnson, to start a new company called Avercast, LLC.  This new business venture was originally founded out of Ririe, Idaho as it is hard to beat the fishing anywhere else. At the time of his passing, Gene Averill was the President, CEO and Co-founder of Avercast, LLC (now based out of Rigby, ID). Gene leaves behind a thriving global organization with offices and/or representatives in twelve countries.  Gene devoted himself to building a world-class software development and supply chain consulting team.  Gene was relentless in his quest to pioneer tomorrow’s technologies, today.  He possessed a unique ability to attract and inspire kindred spirits with that same determination to innovate technology.  The Avercast team will honor Gene’s memory by continuing to expand upon his technological footprint and push the boundaries of supply chain thought and industry best practice. A pioneer in his field, Gene challenged the limits of supply chain forecasting, and raised the standard for all to follow. His high moral conduct rang true throughout his business dealings and personal pursuits alike.  The Marine Corps slogan is “the few, the proud.”  Gene’s unique life experiences qualified him as one of the few.  His tenacity for doing the right thing made his family proud. Gene is survived by his wife Gayle Averill of Ririe, Idaho. His children, Gregory (Ann) Averill of Fort Collins, Colorado, Andrea (Clark) Johnson of Menifee, California, and Jason (Lacy) Averill of Ririe, Idaho. He is also survived by his brothers, Richard and David Averill, fifteen grandchildren and seventeen great grandchildren.  He is preceded in death by his parents. A funeral service will be held in Gene’s honor on Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 11:00 AM in the Ririe-Perry LDS Ward Building (285 2nd West, Ririe, ID). The family will meet with friends prior to services at the church from 10:00 to 10:45 AM. Interment will be in the Ririe-Shelton Cemetery.