Gene J. Gengel
Gene Joseph Gengel, known affectionately as “Geniekins” by his family, took his final road trip on Thursday, July 24, 2025, passing away peacefully at home surrounded by his favorite people. He was born on March 19, 1942, in Utica and spent the next 83 years squeezing as much adventure, love and roadside trivia into life as humanly possible.
He leaves behind his wife and co-pilot of 58 years, Betsy; his daughter Stacey (Brent); his son John (Alli); and two grandchildren, Theo and Louie, who think Grampy hung the moon.
He is also survived by his sister Mary Elaine Gazilli (Guy); and his brother David (Darlene), several loving nieces and one very special nephew.
Gene was a man of many passions: hiking, camping, skiing, scuba diving and dragging his family hundreds of miles out of the way to see such marvels as the Corn Palace, the Second Largest Lobster Trap and any other questionable roadside attraction he could find.
Professionally, Gene had two main career paths. He worked for Highland and Rochester Telephone Corporation from 1965 to 1990, before he found his true calling serving as executive director of Inspire, a center for children with cerebral palsy and developmental disorders. He poured his heart into the work until retiring in 2007, when he and Betsy finally returned to Lake Placid to live out their dream (and plan more detours — a trip to the locks, anyone?).
Gene was also a dedicated member of Rotary for 60 years, serving as treasurer, president and district governor during his tenure, and raising money to eradicate polio, sponsoring exchange students from around the world and bringing clean water to communities in need.
He will be remembered for his patience, his dry humor, his quiet leadership and his ability to make even the most mundane road trip into an epic adventure. Gene would probably want you to skip the flowers and instead take a detour, see something weird and tell a good story about it later.
A funeral Mass will be held at St. Agnes church at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2. A Celebration of Life party, where stories and detours are encouraged, will be held at a date yet to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lake Placid Rotary Club to continue the work Gene cared about so deeply.
The M. B. Clark, Inc., Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Please visit mbclarkfuneralhome.com