Eugene "Gene" Luttenberg

Eugene "Gene" Luttenberg 88 of Silver Spring MD, formerly of St. Petersburg FL passed away February 5, 2026.

Gene was born September 6, 1937, in the Bronx, New York City. His father Anthony Luttenberg was born in the Netherlands and his mother Gustava Kanupka was born in Poland. They met after immigrating to New York and were married in September, 1936. Gene attended Haaren High School in Manhattan and enlisted in the US Air Force from 1955 - 1959, where he served as a flight line mechanic in the Tactical Air Command.

After his service in the Air Force, Gene studied art at the Pratt Institute in New York City. He enjoyed painting, drawing, and sculpting, but while at Pratt he found that the medium which inspired him most was photography. He was fascinated by the technical and artistic aspects of this art and soon thereafter devoted his career and much of his leisure time to taking photos. For most of his adult life, Gene was rarely seen without a camera in his hand. He later completed his studies with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from Empire State College, NY.

Gene married Davida Letich, also of the Bronx, in 1962, often saying that she was the smartest woman he ever met. They had two children together, Randall and Danielle. They remained together for 43 years until Davida’s death in 2005.

Gene’s values were shaped early, and they stayed with him. He overcame a difficult childhood that shaped his respect for strong women and his belief in standing up for yourself, including the courage to challenge authority when needed. That independent streak showed up in the life he built and the passions he pursued.

In his 30s, Gene discovered his other great passion to rival photography: bicycling. As an avid cyclist, Gene rode more than 100 miles every week (he also rode a few “centuries” which were 100 miles in a single ride). Davida joined in the cycling, and together they took many cycling vacations in the US and Europe. Gene loved gadgets and devices and enjoyed tinkering with his favorite bicycles, recumbent-style seated bikes. Before hanging up his cycling pants, Gene twice competed as a cyclist in the Maryland Senior Olympics.

Most of all, Gene enjoyed being a grandfather to his four grandchildren, who knew him as “Baba.” In his later years, he lived with his children and was a constant presence in his grandchildren' s lives as they grew up, celebrating, babysitting, coming to school events, and taking them for bicycle rides and trips to the zoo.

After his retirement, Gene volunteered as a docent at Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s Insect Zoo, and his grandkids would often visit with him there and explore the museum together. They treasured his presence and influence in their formative years and credit him with their love of nature and art. The four of them were his greatest pride and joy.

Gene is survived by son Randall, Randall’s wife Heidi, and their children Isaac and David, and by his daughter Danielle and her children Raphael and Dvora.

Graveside service will be 10AM Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at Chapel Hill Memorial Park, 12905 Wild Acres Road, Largo FL 33773.

Condolences for the family can be left in the guestbook below.

Heritage Funeral Care, David and Steven Gross Directors, Largo FL are serving the family.