Eugene "Gene" Jannuzi '36 (1915 - 2011)

A lifetime resident of Beaver Falls, Gene always had a close connection with Geneva College. He even held a job maintaining the campus tennis courts as a teenager. In 2009, Gene noted, "The college has been a part of my life for so long. I always knew the people-the administration, the staff, the professors-and associated with them in other pursuits."

The Great Depression didn't deter Gene from pursuing a degree after high school. "With the help of my older siblings I scraped together the enormous sum of $100, a semester's tuition at Geneva College," he wrote in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Gene thrived at Geneva, preparing for a productive life. Upon graduation, he taught at Beaver Falls Junior High School, where he met Margaret Moltrup. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Gene enlisted in the U.S. Navy, participating in the North African Campaign, invasion of Sicily and D-Day. World War II deterred the couple's wedding, but not their love, which spanned a marriage of 57 years.

Following the war, Gene worked as a reporter for the Post-Gazette, and then became the CEO of Moltrup Steel. A gifted writer and novelist, Gene continued submitting to the paper following his retirement.

Gene shared his passions, resources and steadfast commitment to Christian education with Geneva's students. Gene and Margaret's generosity includes renovating the tennis courts, contributing to the Veteran's Plaza and establishing a unitrust to support their giving legacy after death. For his excellent service and deep dedication, Gene was awarded the "Life G" in 1983.

Gene was a prolific writer throughout his life, and you can read some of his work by visiting jannuzi articles.

For more information about how you, too, can help today's students through planned giving, visit geneva.edu/give or contact the Office of Planned Giving at 724.847.6614.