> ERA Mourns Gene Straube

Gene F. Straube
Aug. 29, 1928 – Sept. 4, 2022
Atherton, California

Gene Straube was born at home in a brownstone on 86th Street in Manhattan 94 years ago to Eugene and Agnes Kramer Straube, young immigrants from Germany. As their fourth child arriving 15-20 years after his three sisters, and the only boy in the family, he was raised and pampered by four mothers rather than just one.

He attended Stuyvesant High School in New York City followed by Columbia University, where he earned both a bachelor of arts degree and a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering and was awarded membership in both Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi honorary fraternities.

After completing his Navy service in 1953, his engineering career got off to an adventurous start as he moved to California to work with Howard Hughes at Hughes Semiconductor.  He chose to live in Manhattan Beach because it sounded like Manhattan. There he and his first wife raised three children. In 1993 he married the love of his life, Marie. They spent “the golden years” traveling, playing bridge and golf and enjoying life together.

In 1960 he relocated to Mountain View, Calif., where he founded Straube Associates, Inc., one of the pioneering manufacturers’ representatives for electronic components between the manufacturers and the newly-developing computer industry in what would become known as Silicon Valley.

He was a long-time ERA member – part of the Northern California chapter – and was inducted into the ERA White Pin group in 1979.

Gene remained active in his company for more than 50 years as president and later as chairman of the Board, and truly lived his motto: “If you do something you love you will never work a day in your life.” Today his son Chris continues spearheading the corporation and the tradition.

Gene passed away just one week after his 94th birthday party, where he was thrilled to meet his first great-grandchild who was just 21 days old. The photo of the four generations became an immediate family treasure.

Upon his passing, a friend described him as an American gentleman, the kind we no longer produce. He will be remembered by those who were fortunate to know him for his big smile, his energy, his charm, his love of life and his love of people.