SPRINGFIELD – Eugene B. “Gene” Plante, 81, of the East Springfield section of Springfield, was Called Safely Home on Monday, June 13, 2016. He passed into Eternal Life at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield surrounded by the care and comfort of his loving family. He was born in Springfield on July 1, 1934, a beloved son of the late Joseph A. Plante and Exilia (Boisjolie) Plante. He attended Springfield schools, was a lifelong resident of the city and had lived in East Springfield since 1954. Gene was employed as an offset printer at General Offset Printing in Springfield for 25 years, later at Connecticut Printers in Bloomfield, CT for 15 years and lastly at Hasbro in East Longmeadow. He was a communicant of Mary, Mother of Hope Church in East Springfield. Gene was proud of his yard at his home and was known on his street as a “master gardener” with his manicured lawn and his beautiful flower beds and vegetable gardens. Above all, he was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend who showered his family with his love and affection which was returned to him a thousand fold. Besides his beloved parents, he was predeceased by his dear brother and sister-in-law, Joseph George Plante and his wife, Doris; his two dear sisters, Sister Jeannette Plante of the Sisters of Holy Cross and Sister Clarice Plante of the Sisters of Providence; and his three dear brothers-in-law, Larry Gelinas, Charles Sears and Robert Brockney and his wife, Nancy. He leaves his beloved wife and best friend, Elizabeth J. “Betty” (Brockney) Plante. They were married on July 10, 1954 at Saint Matthew Church in the Indian Orchard section of Springfield and were blessed with over 61 years of happiness together. He also leaves his two loving sons, Richard D. Plante of Springfield and Daniel J. Plante and his wife, Darlene, of East Longmeadow; his four cherished grandchildren, Christopher Plante, Amanda Plante and her fiancé, Steven McDevitt, Olivia Plante and Catherine Plante; his dear brother, Paul M. Plante and his wife, Annette, of Springfield; his two dear sisters, Laura Gelinas of Springfield and Cecile Sears of East Longmeadow; his dear sister-in-law, Ann Morris and her husband, Richard, of Rochester, NH; and his many dear nephews, nieces, cousins, friends and extended members of the Plante and Brockney families. His funeral will be held on Saturday morning, June 18, 2016 beginning at the St. Pierre – Phaneuf Springfield Chapels, (413-737-1177), 7 Chapin Terrace, Springfield, MA 01107 (funeral home will open at 8:30 a.m.), followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at Mary, Mother of Hope Church, 840 Page Boulevard, Springfield, MA 01104. His burial will follow the Mass at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 421 Tinkham Road, Springfield, MA 01129. His family will receive friends at the funeral home on Friday evening, June 17, 2016 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. His family has requested that memorial donations be made in his memory to the Sisters of Saint Joseph, 577 Carew Street, Springfield, MA 01104 or to the Sisters of Providence, 5 Gamelin Street, Holyoke, MA 01040. For more details, please visit: www.stpierrephaneuf.com