One year ago today, Gene Siller was killed in a senseless act of violence that rocked our community. Gene’s passing affected all of us in many, profound ways and we thank all of our members for lifting up the Siller family during this extraordinarily difficult time.
Since Gene’s passing, his wife Ashley has been adamant that his legacy would not be defined by the act of violence that took his life. Instead, Gene’s legacy will be defined by the life that he lived and the junior golf grant created in his memory through the Georgia PGA Foundation – the Gene Siller Memorial Grant.
This is a difficult day for the Siller family and our members that knew Gene as a friend and a fellow Golf Professional. We invite you to celebrate Gene Siller’s life and legacy in the following ways:
- Read and share the AJC’s article celebrating Gene’s life and the creation of the Grant
- Register to play in the Second Annual Gene Siller Red Pants Memorial Pro-Am Tournament (August 15, 2022 at Pinetree Country Club)
- Make a donation to the Gene Siller Memorial Grant
- Engage with the Grant on Instagram and Facebook
As we celebrate Gene’s legacy, we want to highlight the seven juniors who recently received the very first funds from the Gene Siller Memorial Grant. We had 30 junior golfers apply, all of whom received a letter of recommendation from a PGA Golf Professional.
- Thaxton Cheyne, age 13 of Canton (Chad Phillips, PGA)
- Josh Durthaler, age 16 of Dunwoody (Jason Cochran, PGA)
- Bernardo “BJ” Little, age 17 of Conyers (Jeff Dunovant, PGA)
- Brisen Mailutha Purnell, age 10 of Snellville (Adam Wheelus, PGA)
- Russell Makepeace, age 18 of Atlanta (Justin Martin, PGA)
- Jacob Smith, age 10 of Atlanta (Justin Martin, PGA)
- Haven Ward, age 17 of Atlanta (Jeff Dunovant, PGA)
Today is a difficult day for the Siller Family and our community. We thank you again for rallying around Gene’s loved ones as they celebrate his life and continue to honor his legacy.