Dr. Gino Joseph Marco

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, January 5, 2019, at Hanes Lineberry North Elm Chapel, 515 North Elm Street with Rev. Jay Hilbinger officiating. Interment with Military Honors will follow at Westminster Gardens Cemetery, 3601 Whitehurst Road.

Gino is a Pennsylvania native from the Pittsburgh area, son of the late Antonio and Romano Marco. He studied music to be a professional clarinetist at Eastman School of Music, and while there was drafted into the Army (World War II), eventually joining the 42nd Rainbow Division band as a clarinetist. In the band, he learned to play the bagpipes, the only service unit; except the Marine Corp Band, to have bagpipes in the U.S. uniforms at the time. On discharge from the service, he went to Carnegie Tech; now Carnegie Mellon University, to get a B.S. in Chemistry and was student pipe major in his junior and senior years. He also learned Scottish dances there. Tech had the original from 1924, college Kiltie Band in the U.S. While obtaining his M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from their Medical School, he played in Scottish bagpipe bands in the area. Upon graduation, he went to work for Monsanto in St. Louis and played with the Irish Shamrock Pipe Band there. He moved to Pleasantville, New York to join Geigy Corporation, which eventually became CIBA-GEIGY Corporation and is now Ciba Corporation. While in New York, he played the clarinet and saxophone with the Pleasantville Fireman’s Band. Since retiring from CIBA-GEIGY, he and another retiree, from AT&T formed a dance band, The Hi Lighters playing for weddings, dance clubs, parties, etc. In the dance band, he played tenor/alto saxophone, clarinet, flute and trumpet. He kept his Scottish pipes as a hobby and played them, when requested with the Hi Lighters and special occasions.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Marco was preceded in death by his only son, Jeff Marco; granddaughter, Kathryn Steck and great grandson, Adam Ellington. He is survived by his wife Wanda of 67 years; four children, Mona Steck and husband, Donald of Palmetto, FL, Nina Calvano and husband, Phil of Chesapeake Bay, VA, Tama Ellington and husband, Mark of Monroe, NC and Rona Rogers and husband, Gary of Townsville, Australia; grandchildren, Donald Steck, Teresa Conrado, Corin Potor, Nicholas Calvano, Joseph Calvano, Aaron Marco, Brian Marco, Christopher Marco, Matthew Ellington, Marisa Fegley, Kurtis Rogers, Alex Rogers, and great grandchildren, Kathryn Rodriquez, Benjamin Conrado, Cameron Conrado, Luca Maro, Clare Marco, Nora Ellington, Issac Ellington, Lincoln Fegley and Theodora Rogers.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society 7027 Albert Pick Road, Greensboro, NC 27409 or to the charity of one’s choice.