Geno A. Modarelli

Gene A. Modarelli  (October 2, 1940 - April 19, 2024)

Gene A. Modarelli died on April 19, 2024, at his home in Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio, after battling heart disease for many years. 

He is survived by his life partner Jan Hutzell; his daughters Holly Earley (Richard) and Heidi Modarelli-Frank (Roger); Jan’s children Donny (Janine), Rick (Sherry), Sherry, and Terry Taylor (Brock, deceased); his sister Katherine D’Apolito (Frank); grandchildren Emily, Mathew and David; and Jan’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

Several family members died before him, including his daughter, Tamara; his parents Egidio and Caroline; and siblings, Rose Milano (Robert), Nicholas (Matilda “Tillie”), Anthony (Viola), Joseph (Mary “Coke”), Rocky (Evelyn), Dominic (Rose “Tootsie,” living), John “Johnny Mo” and Mary Lou.

Gene was known by a lot of different names. Geno. Dad. Papa Geno. Uncle Gene. Cumba. Paesano or Piasan. He also was affectionately referred to as both the Mayor and Godfather of Geneva-on-the-Lake.

Geno knew a lot of people. He made friends everywhere he went. He had a special talent for remembering people’s names and their personal stories. If he sold you a car in 1976, chances are he remembered up until the day he died what year, make and model it was, the color of the body and interior, and what you paid for it. If you walked into the High Tide as a stranger, it would only be a few minutes before he knew your name, where you were from, whether you were vacationing or new to town, what you did for a living, and whether you were Italian. 

It seemed everywhere he went, he knew someone – not just in Youngstown or Geneva or Ashtabula – even in Disney World, he’d run into someone he knew. 

Geno was born in Youngstown, Ohio, on October 2, 1940, the youngest of 10 children to Caroline and Egidio who had immigrated from Italy. Though his dad died when he was just 12, Geno, as the baby, was well loved by his mother and older brothers and sisters.

He attended Tod School and Hayes Junior High before graduating from The Rayen School in 1958. According to currently available Google navigation data, he quite literally walked uphill two miles in the snow to school, often with plastic bread bags lining his shoes and carrying a brown bag packed with a peppers and egg sandwich. Legend has it, he once ran for class president and lost by one vote. As luck would have it, his three best friends skipped school that day.  

A teacher at Hayes once told him that, due to his Brier Hill-Italian accent, a professional career was not in his future. He should find a job in the mill or at a factory. Thankfully, he ignored that advice. He took a job in the engineering department of Youngstown City Hall. He also began selling cars at Slavin Ford in Hubbard, Ohio, launching an award-winning, 50-year career as a salesman.  

In 1963, he married Sandra Rice and had three daughters: Tammy (who died at the age of 3) Holly and Heidi, before eventually divorcing. He loved his daughters and was always careful to treat them equally, frequently repeating his mother’s words, “If you pinch one finger, it hurts. If you pinch the other finger, it hurts too.”

In the late 1980s, he moved from Youngstown to Geneva-on-the-Lake. He became proprietor of Geno’s Log Cabin before becoming a salesman at Massucci Ford, where he worked for 20 years until his retirement.  

It was in Geneva that he’d meet the love of his life Jan, and where he gained an additional family of Donny, Janine, Rick, Sherry, Sherry, Terry and Brock. Sherry and Terry, his “girls” as he called them, played a significant and loving role, helping him in recent years and accompanying him to many medical appointments and procedures.

He was extremely proud of his granddaughter Emily, his grandsons Matthew and David and Jan’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He dearly loved his 18 nieces and nephews, their spouses and countless great nieces and nephews.  

Geno loved nothing more than having a house full of family and friends surrounding a table packed with macaroni; his legendary sausage and peppers and Brier Hill pizza; a tray of salami, capicola and sharp provolone; plates of cannoli and pizzelles; bowls of spumoni; juice glasses filled with Campobasso; and animated talking and laughter drowning out the songs of Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett.

Knowing this, it might come as no surprise that he managed many heart health issues over the years. Despite having the best medical care, eventually, his heart got tired. He died at home, momentarily feeling better than he had in a long time, making and enjoying pasta fagioli and a small glass of wine, happy to be home in Jan’s company.

The Modarelli and Hutzell families thank everyone who helped care and pray for Geno, including Father Daniel, Dr. Krishnan Sundararajan, MD, and Bobby, Cindy, Rob and Ron, who he thought of as family.

Geno was a proud member of the Brier Hill ITAM Post 12, The Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 2243 and of the VFW Post #6846. Stories of Geno and his brother Rocky will surely echo against the walls of these establishments for decades to come.

For those who want to pay their respects to Geno, they may do so in a number of ways:

Friday, April 26:

9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. – Calling hours at Guerreiro Funeral Home, 1550 W 19th Street Ashtabula.

11 a.m. – Funeral Mass at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 30 Lockwood Street (corner of Lockwood and Main St.), Geneva

12 p.m. – Celebration of Life at Geneva Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 2243, 120 Depot Street, Geneva, hosted by members of the Auxiliary. Family and friends will be invited to share their favorite stories.

Saturday, April 27:

11 a.m. –  Committal Service at Calvary Cemetery, 248 S. Belle Vista Avenue, Youngstown

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Geneva Food Pantry, 505 W Main St, Geneva, OH 44041 or to the American Heart Association.

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