Gene W. Mackey

Beloved father Gene W. Mackey Sr. (Poppa Bear) 76, passed away peacefully in his sleep, Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024. He was the son of the late Wilbur H. Mackey and Isabel F. White of Pleasant Valley N.Y. He was born on December 6, 1947 in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He was a class of 1967 graduate from Arlington High School. He attended Dutchess County Community College and went on to obtain several licenses in the trades.

Growing up Gene worked on the family apple farm in Pleasant Valley N.Y., Gene was employed by the Wappinger Central School District until retirement in 2002 in the operations department where he took great pride in his ability as one of the few who could maintain the boiler system.

Gene was also a union representative at W.C.S.D. and loved to tell stories about the school administration, underestimating, to their own detriment, his ability to represent the school's union members. To keep active after he retired to Myrtle Beach South Carolina he took employment at the Holiday Inn. Perhaps only second to Gene's work ethic, was his ability to genuinely forgive people and to move forward to better times without looking back. In this way Gene sets an example for all of us to follow.

After retirement, Gene loved shopping, as well cruises and road trips with his wife Deborah. They often ventured to historical destinations such as the Biltmore Estate. They would spend time cooking and being "foodies" together. On occasion his children and grandchildren would visit, he always would take them on best excursion and provided the best dining experiences.

Having grown up a farmer, Gene always had an amazing green thumb and any soil he turned harvested with success. From the varieties of grapes that he grew atop the children's playset in the backyard, to tomatoes by the pound, to most recently his beautiful roses. He was famous for trading his colossal zucchini, acorn and butternut squashes.

In his younger days Gene was a hiker and could be found rambling about local mountains with his children and his dogs. He took interest in body building and boxing, which was something he shared with his son Gene. He loved cooking, cooking shows, sharing recipes and handing down cookbooks. He and his daughter Elaine would go on adventures searching for new fresh markets fueled by their love of exotic cheeses and different regional cuisine. He loved to have conversations about history and could beat the pants off his son-in law Rob and daughter when playing the History game or Trivial Pursuit. He had a knack for envisioning how to recycle and repurpose previously well- loved household items and breathed ne life into them. He loved to go antiquing. He could start a friendly conversation with anyone and always walked away making a new friend. He also loved to dance and exemplified the quote" dance like no one is watching"!

What truly made Gene happy was spending time with his grandchildren. Always a man's man, he loved to share jokes, secrets, and stories of his adventures with his adult grandsons Brian and Mackey, but he had a special soft spot in his heart for his grand daughter Logan and his youngest grandson Billy. Gene was a devoted animal lover who loved to feed and watch his birds, chipmunks and squirrels at the feeders, the deer in the field. He loved and spoiled his fur babies Mayberry, Isabel, and Blackberry. He treated his cats with love and like they were royalty. We will all miss the many pictures of his kitties.

He is predeceased by his siblings, David and Joanne Mackey, as well as his loving and devoted wife Deborah. His legacy lives on in the love he had for children, Gene W. Mackey Jr. of East Fishkill N.Y., Isabel (Robert) Grace of Freehold N.Y., and Elaine (William) Haller of Beacon N.Y., his grandchildren Brian Shaw, Mackey Shaw, Logan Shaw, and William Haller. Later in life he remained friends with his 1st wife Elaine Wojick.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to ASPCA at ASPCA, PO Box 96929 Washington DC 20090-6929, or American Heart Association, at American Heart Association, PO Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284-0692 or another charity of your choice.

Gene was cremated privately, and services have been entrusted to A.J. Cunningham Funeral Home, 4898SR 81, Greenville, NY.

A graveside service will be held at Wappinger rural Cemetery at 12 noon on Friday, September 13,2024.

Visit www.ajcunninghamfh.com to leave condolences, or share memories and photos you may have of Gene, with the family.