Eugene Patrick Fahy
Eugene Patrick Fahy, age 68, passed away at his home in Sebastopol on March 27, 2021. He was born in Ross in 1952, a son of Philip and Gloria Fahy. He is survived by his wife, Lenora Fahy; two daughters, Deana (Jeff) Haug, and Heather Fahy; two grandsons, Ethan and Andrew Haug; his godsons, Dean De La Montanya and Will Fahy; siblings, Cathy Thompson, Phil (Linda) Fahy, Leo (Cindie) Fahy, Will (Patty) Fahy, Patrick (Tracy) Fahy, and Gloria Rita Fahy; mother-in-law, Patricia Hendricks; sisters-inlaw, Debbi (Ron) Lawson and Sharon (Doug) Fulton; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and greatnephews, who loved him dearly.
Eugene graduated from Sir Francis Drake High School in San Anselmo in 1970. He earned his associate degree at College of Marin, and his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Sonoma State. He started his 51-year law enforcement career as a cadet and dispatcher for the San Rafael Police Department, then went through the police academy and became a sworn officer for San Rafael P.D. in 1975. While there, he was a training officer, a member of the SWAT Team, and he thoroughly enjoyed his time as a motorcycle officer. He then moved to Santa Rosa P.D. in 1979, where he also enjoyed the motorcycle detail, trained new officers, and was a valued member of the hostage negotiation team. He served in Santa Rosa until 1986, when he was tapped to become assistant sheriff of Sonoma County, under then-sheriff, Dick Michaelsen. He then moved to Rohnert Park Police and Fire, where he added firefighter to his resume, and again enjoyed training new officers until his retirement.
Gene couldn’t retire though, so he helped his brother, Will, as a supervisor for Fahy Tree Services. When offered a position as an inspector with the Marin County District Attorney’s office, he jumped on the opportunity, and was a conscientious and tireless investigator and team player. Having worked in law enforcement for his entire career, Gene saw the worst that our society had to offer. Rather than harden him, the things he experienced drove him to make the world around him a better place. His easy smile and Irish wit drew people to him, and once he met you, you were a friend for life.
He was never happier than when he was helping others. When someone was in need, he was there, offering much needed help and encouragement. Over the years, Gene participated and helped organize many charity events, including Rohnert Park Police Association golf tournaments, Santa Rosa Police Association demolition derbies, and pasta fundraisers with his longtime friend, "Pasta King," Art Ableto. More than anything else, though, Gene’s greatest passion was his family, whether it was on vacation or just spending time around the table enjoying a meal. He looked forward to Saturday coffee with the guys, spending Sundays with Heather in San Francisco, Monday night pizza, trips to Minnesota to visit Deana and Jeff and boys, and while there, cheering Ethan and Andrew on in their hockey and soccer games, just to name a few. He especially loved being Heather’s DoorDash dad, delivering lunch to her at work on his days off.
A visitation will be held from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 1, 2021 at Daniels Chapel of the Roses, 1225 Sonoma Ave., Santa Rosa, CA. A celebration of Gene’s life will be held this summer, at his dear friends’, Frank and Barbara Gonnella’s Union Hotel in Occidental.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made in Eugene Fahy’s name to the Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation, 1501 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95401, to support first responder trainees.
In the words of a good friend, “those who knew Gene will have lost a dear friend, and one of the most selfless and caring individuals we will ever meet in our lifetimes.” He was well loved and will be greatly missed.