Alfred E. Twomey, 89, died Friday, June 15, at Country Club Care Center in Warrensburg.
A celebration of Twomey’s life is being planned for a later date.
Gene was born in Julesburg, Colorado, on Oct. 18, 1928, to John V. and Vera C. Twomey. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history and English from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in history from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado.
In 1962, after teaching at schools in Chicago and Superior, Nebraska, Gene joined the history faculty at Central Missouri State College and attained the rank of full professor six years later.
Twomey was highly respected on campus as a gifted, but demanding teacher who challenged and engaged the 35,000 students he taught during his 41-year tenure at UCM.
In 2003, the Board of Governors of Central Missouri State University honored Twomey by naming the auditorium in the Wood Building, where the professor taught many of his classes, the Alfred E. Twomey Auditorium.
That same year, the endowed Alfred E. Twomey Scholarship in History, to be awarded to a junior or senior pursuing a degree in history, and the endowed Alfred E. Twomey Graduate Scholarship in History, to be awarded to a student pursuing a graduate degree in history, were established in UCM’s department of history and anthropology.
An avid moviegoer, Gene co-authored with Arthur F. McClure, “The Versatiles: A Study of Supporting Character Players in the Cinema, 1930-1955,” as well as three additional books about American film.
His interest in and love for opera also made him a longtime supporter and patron of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City.
Gene was preceded in death by his parents and his older brother, James Arthur Twomey. He is survived by his niece, Kathleen Twomey, Nathrop, Colorado; his great-niece Linnea Schroeder, Burlington, Colorado; and his great-nephew, Mattson Schroeder, Carson, Colorado; and a host of friends.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Warrensburg Food Center, PO Box 872, Warrensburg, Missouri.