Preston "Gene" Eugene Shirah

Preston Eugene “Gene” Shirah, a resident of Dothan, died Monday, August 4, 2025 at Southeast Health Medical Center. He was 89.

Funeral services for Gene will be held at 2 PM Friday, August 8, 2025 in Clearman Chapel at Southern Heritage with Reverends Bill Whittington and Robert Braswell officiating. The family will be receiving friends from 12:30 PM until 1:45 PM prior to the services at the funeral home. Burial will follow in Madrid City Cemetery.

Gene was born July 14, 1936 in Houston County, Alabama to the late Lenny Paul and Lillian Lorane Smith Shirah. He worked as a Route Salesman for Pepsi Cola for 35 years and enjoyed hunting, fishing, Alabama Crimson Tide Football and a good game of 9 Ball. Gene was a member of the Madrid Senior Center where he drove the bus for many years before his health declined and also enjoyed finding and eating a good steak wherever he could.

Gene is preceded in death by his parents, and the mother of his children, Mary Shirah, and good friend and cousin Jannie Bell Monday.

Survivors include his wife, Annette Shirah; children, Wendell Denham, Johnny Paul Shirah, Donnie Shirah (Mary), Earl Braswell (Barbara), Marie Martin, Theresa Marsh (Scott) and Sheila Lane (Robert); he was a loving grandfather to twenty-four grandchildren; fifty great grandchildren; fifteen great great grandchildren.

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