Louis Mario Geneve

Louis Mario Geneve, 84, of Brooklyn, NY, peacefully passed into the arms of his Lord on October 24, 2025. Significantly, his final illness lasted three days, after which time he was called to the Kingdom of Heaven. He is survived by his brother, Mario, sister-in-law Meredith, nephew Craig and his wife Mary, niece Melanie and her husband Jason, and grandnephews Paul, John, Christopher, and Joseph.

Louis was born on June 18, 1941 to John and Millie Geneve, where he was raised along with his brother, Mario, among cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, most of whom lived within walking distance. His childhood was filled with the simple family rituals of visits, meals, mass, and holidays. Summers were spent in Yorktown Heights with the other family boys, and if the stories are true, he sure was lucky to return home alive each fall. As far as we know, the neighboring boys survived as well. Unsure about the dog, but we know that his eyebrows didn't always make it.

It was from this rich foundation that Louis' journey of faith and scholarship began. He attended the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School and went on to receive both undergraduate and graduate degrees in English Literature from Long Island University. In response to a calling, he stepped away during his undergraduate years to join the Trappist Abbey of the Genesee in Western New York. He was unwavering in his faith but ultimately found that he could not part from his family. Louis returned to the laity and exemplified the Word in his daily life. He attended mass every day, carefully raised us, his nephew and niece, in the Catholic faith, and so regularly and generously gifted his worldly wealth to the Church that it raised some eyebrows at the IRS. Louis responded with an overabundance of records and receipts, and once again, eyebrows disappeared.

Louis taught English Literature and English as a Second Language for 30 years. His devotion to both family and faith shone clearly in the classroom. He showed compassion and support to his students, particularly those new to the country, and took pains to give them recognition and acceptance. In return, he received respect, recipes, and his own language lessons. We enjoyed listening to various phrases in Mandarin or Russian, and could somehow always tell when the words were a bit…spicy.

Uncle Lou was a fantastic storyteller, and most tales ended in his laughing with Dad to the point of sputtering and tears. Somewhere in the room, ZiaZia was blushing; there was a fair amount of Sicilian involved to cover the juicier details. One could just imagine the scent of pipes made from corn cobs, the sweetness of wild-blueberries, and the light of the cattail torches. We heard loving recollections of his mother and his grandparents' shop. We could find our way to Ralph's barbershop, and we knew where to get a cup of coffee and some gossip on Clinton Street.

Also of note was Louis' cooking. He was a whiz in the kitchen and could create a gourmet meal from refrigerator scraps (we're looking at you, Garbage Soup). Every food was comfort food and it was out of this world. We have many fond memories of helping in the kitchen: homemade ravioli, pizza, plum pudding, pies, and everything in between. He was noted for his love and use of garlic, but we can assure you that it wasn't used in the desserts. We think.

Lou was fluent in Italian and German and well-versed in Latin. He loved the opera, ballet, museums, and the philharmonic, and regularly scooped us up to share in that cultural education. He was a master decorator for every holiday and was the preeminent host of every Christmas Eve celebration. We looked forward to that icy trek down the block to a house warm with festive cooking and classical Christmas music. Uncle Lou's creche display rivaled those of many churches in Italy, and after marveling at the birth of Christ in those carefully crafted snowy hills, we battled over who was the first to find the severed head in the Dickens Village (he wrote his Masters' thesis on Edgar Allen Poe, so this part shouldn't be a surprise).

Looking back on it all, I think that Louis' life was perhaps always about gratitude. His life of giving and service, his genuine dedication to family and to his Creator, all was an expression of thanks. For his family, for this life, and for the promise of paradise ahead. And now, a well-earned rest.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,

et Lux perpetua luceat eis,

cum Sanctus tuis in aeternum,

quia pius es.

With love and fond remembrance, Melanie and Craig