Christopher Hugh Gengenbach

Christopher Hugh Gengenbach passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 16, 2024. Born in Hartford, CT on February 8, 1980, Chris was the beloved son of Bruce Gengenbach and the late Diana Lee Smith Gengenbach.

Chris grew up on Tollgate Road in Rocky Hill, CT with his annoying older brother and partner-in-crime, Mark, and friends from all 5 (!) public schools in town (Moser Elementary School, Stevens Elementary School, West Hill Elementary School, Griswold Middle School, and Rocky Hill High School). He spent his childhood swimming, bike riding, gardening, fishing and exploring the waterfalls at Dividend Pond, playing video games and a variety of sports, including baseball, basketball, golf, cornhole and jarts (those extra pointy lawn darts), and traveling with his family on many favorite trips, including Florida, Pennsylvania, Wildwood (NJ), and especially Maine. Chris also enjoyed the many Sunday afternoon gatherings and BBQs with his family.

Chris loved to ski – first starting in his backyard, then at Powder Ridge, and eventually graduating to larger peaks in New England (his favorite mountain was Killington). He also loved to play music. After graduating from playing the recorder in elementary school, he moved on to playing a variety of instruments (including the trumpet, trombone, tuba, and Sousaphone) in the Rocky Hill High School Marching Band and the jazz band. Playing at ‘Tuba Christmas’ at various locations throughout the Northeast was a highlight on Chris’ calendar. He later played the tuba with the talented South Windsor Community Band and enjoyed performing in their annual concerts.

After high school, Chris graduated from New England Institute of Technology in 2002 with a BS in Computer Information Systems Technology. After receiving his degree, he worked at a number of jobs and lived in various locations, including Rhode Island, Florida, and Connecticut. During his travels, he maintained his allegiance to the UConn Huskies, New England Patriots and the Boston Red Sox. He loved playing cards and board games, boating and jet-skiing on the Connecticut River, and adorning the house with Christmas decorations and lights (the brighter the better). He learned how to sail with his Aunt Louise and Uncle Gordon in Maine and on Lake Ontario. He loved enjoying Shady Glen ice cream and playing pool with his Aunt Theresa, Uncle Billy, and cousin Taj. But perhaps his greatest passion was the weather – Chris loved to track the weather not only across the country, but even closer to home with a weather station he maintained in his backyard in Vernon, CT. Chris proudly shared that he was a member of the National Weather Service volunteer SKYWARN Storm Spotter Program.

Chris had a generous heart, a wry sense of humor, a big smile, and, most of all, love for his family and friends. He was predeceased by his mother, Diana Lee Smith Gengenbach, his grandparents, Francis and Evelyn (Smith) Paquette and Mollie (Biscoe) Gengenbach, and his great-grandmother Mabel Smith.

He is survived by his father, Bruce Gengenbach of Vernon, CT, and his brother Mark Gengenbach along with his wife Kerry, and Chris’s niece Catherine, of New York, NY.  Among others left to mourn his passing are his dear aunts and uncles, including Louise and Gordon Heisler of Jamesville, NY, Theresa Amy and Billy Hoch of Manchester, CT, Marie Fuss of Ormond Beach, FL, and his cousins Taj Hoch, James Fuss, Diane Fuss O’Keefe, and David Fuss.

Friends and family may gather at the Brooklawn Funeral Home, 511 Brook Street, Rocky Hill, CT on Sunday November 24th from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. A memorial service will be celebrated on Monday November 25th at 10:30 am at Rocky Hill Congregational Church, 805 Old Main Street, Rocky Hill, CT. Interment will follow in Rose Hill Memorial Park, Rocky Hill. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Chris’s memory may be made to the South Windsor Community Band (SWCB), 19 Cadbury Lane, South Windsor, CT 06074, or to the Hope & Healing Campaign at the Saint Francis Foundation, 95 Woodland St., 2nd Floor, Hartford, CT 06105 or online at https://giving.saintfrancisdonor.com/donate.