Gene Joseph 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, New York, 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 Tel.

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, August 2nd. 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 www.mbclarkfuneralhome.com to share a memory, upload a photograph or leave condolences to be added to the Memorial Tribute Book for the family to cherish.