Stephen W. Genetti

1948 - 2016

Stephen W. Genetti

Asheville - Stephen W. Genetti, 68, passed away at his home in Asheville, N.C., on November 14, 2016, under the largest & brightest moon since 1948, the year he was born. Steve was born on August 5th, 1948 and was the beloved son of Philip A. & Carrie R. Genetti, of Black Mountain, the grandson of Rans & Myrtle P. Raffield of Mcdowell County, N.C., and Anthony & Anna Genetti, of Hazelton & Reading, Pennsylvania, all of whom predeceased him. He is survived by his loving partner of 38 years, Pam Tripp, of the home; brother, Philip & his wife, Lori, of Franklin Springs, Ga.; sisters Phyllis Genetti, Beverly Genetti, and Donna Genetti Prather & her husband, Sandy, all of Black Mountain. In addition, he leaves behind the nieces & nephews he loved and was so proud of, Todd Byrns, Lara Byrns, Alex Genetti, Anna Genetti and Joey Genetti, and his great-nephew, Tristan Byrns, who held a very special place in his heart.

Steve graduated from Owen High School in 1966 and attended Radford University in Radford, Virginia. Steve was a veteran of the Vietnam War and served proudly with the 85th Evac Hospital unit. As a child, Steve was mischievous and charming; his antics and humor amused us all. He was a voracious reader of books, and was a near authority on the Civil War, World War II, Vietnam, and all things historical. He had a photographic memory and could remember and retain facts from the important to the inane. He had a sweet nature and an irrepressible sense of humor even when he lay in bed in the hospital in Chapel Hill. He had multitudes of friends, from literally every walk of life. He was absurdly handsome, beloved by women young and old, but also by men, who gravitated to his funny, outrageous and sometimes bawdy stories. He was a builder & creator of beauty, and his home, a labor of love for many years, displayed those qualities. He was always willing to help out friends, family, fellow veterans and anyone who needed him. Steve was especially proud of his contribution to the building of the Warrior's Cairn on the grounds of the V.A. Hospital in Oteen, N.C. It was a special place for him and he would sometimes go there to sit & contemplate life. He was a Master of Ceremonies at the Cairn's dedication in 2010, and again, several years later, when the Cairn was turned over to the Iraq & Afghanistan veterans. Steve made some very special friends at the V.A., especially John Cowart. His time with all of them was both meaningful and life sustaining.

For the past year, Steve had been battling a rare form of bone marrow cancer, Myelofibrosis, for which the only possible cure is a stem cell transplant. He and Pam spent 85 days in virtual isolation in a room in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at the hospital in Chapel Hill. He fought like a warrior and a soldier, fierce, determined and unwavering, but with such a sweetness of spirit, he managed to charm everyone from the doctors and nurses to the P.A.'s, N.A.'s, and interns. His brother, Phil, was his stem cell donor, and wonderful stem cells they were, but Steve's disease was too advanced and both transplants failed. Steve, as well as Pam, would want to thank all the wonderful staff at the BMT Unit, including Dr. Riches and Dr. Vincent, and especially the incredible nurses who helped make Steve's difficult & painful journey bearable with their love and compassion. In lieu of flowers, please consider registering to be donor, which requires a mouth swab to type DNA. You can find information at BeTheMatch.org., or donate to a Veteran's organization of your choice in honor of Steve.

Steve will be missed forever by his life-partner, caregiver & best friend, Pam, his adoring and grieving family, and by the amazing wealth of friends he made in his journey through life. He has been joined in death by his little dog, Molly, who passed away two days after Steve.

There will be a service for Steve in the chapel of the Veteran's Cemetery in Black Mountain, N.C. on Friday, December 2nd, at 3:00. There will also be a celebration of Steve's life at The Wild Hare at 406 W. State Street in Black Mountain following the service.