Harold F. Gens Jr.'s Obituary
Harold F. Gens Jr., 86, of Largo, Florida passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 8th, 2020. He was born on February 8th, 1934 in Boston, Massachusetts to the late Harold F. & Angela (Cassidy) Gens. After graduating from Florida State University with a degree in English and Engineering, Harold joined the U.S Armed Forces. He served his country honorably in both the Army & Marine Corps, and also bravely fought in the Korean War. After his time in the service, Harold worked for Honeywell in Manchester, New Hampshire before moving to Florida in 1977 to work for Martin Marietta. He went on to work for them as an engineer before eventually retiring after over 20 years on the job. He and his wife, Shirley, were members of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Clearwater. In his free time, Harold enjoyed boating and sailing, golfing, playing the guitar, and was a writer who loved poetry. His favorite poem was “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. Harold was an avid Florida State Seminole fan, often rivaling his brother who was a Florida Gators fan, especially at Thanksgiving. Over the past 15 years, Harold really took a new outlook on life and reconnected with his family, becoming very close with his wife and children. He often said to his wife, “I love you more”, as a sentiment to just how much he loved her and his family. In addition to his parents, Harold is predeceased by his brother, Bill Gens. He is survived by his loving wife, Shirley, and their three children Martha, Shirley, and Tamara, and son in law Craig. He is also survived by two children from a previous marriage, Rick Gens and Tracy Gagnon. In addition to his wife and children, Harold is survived by his grandchildren Alexandria Nalley, CJ Rodriguez, Kristy Smith, Brandon Smith, and Anthony and Angela Gagnon, and great-grandchildren LillyAnn, Alexander and Grace. A funeral mass will be held at a later date at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, and he will be interred at Bay Pines National Cemetery.
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