Gene Derfler, an American politician who served in the Oregon House of Representatives and Oregon State Senate, died on March 16, 2026, at age 101.
Born in Portland, Oregon, on May 24, 1924, he graduated from Western Washington College of Education and the Pensacola Naval Aviator School. During World War II, he served as a Navy lieutenant from 1943 to 1946, flying PBY Catalina bombers over the Atlantic Ocean in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Derfler was elected to the Oregon House in 1988, won re-election in 1990 and 1992, and moved to the Oregon Senate after his 1994 election, serving until 2001. He was the last Republican to serve as Senate president.
Eugene Leo Derfler (May 24, 1924 – March 16, 2026) was an American politician who was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives and Oregon State Senate. He was the last Republican to serve as Senate President.