Eugene "Geno" Raymond Pauline

Eugene “Geno” Pauline, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, piano extraordinaire, and friend, passed away after a courageous fight on November 13, 2025, surrounded by the family who was his world. His girls. He was eighty-one years old.

Born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, to Italian American parents, Geno grew up in a humble, close-knit family that shaped who he would become: loyal, generous, faith-filled, and endlessly loving. His mother worked in a school cafeteria and his father in the steel mill, and from them he learned the value of hard work, laughter, and putting family first.

As a boy, Geno discovered what would become his lifelong love, the piano. Though he never learned to read music, he could play anything he heard, turning melodies into memories for anyone lucky enough to listen. From jazz bars in Denver to hospital lobbies and family living rooms, Geno’s music became his language of love.

He was the first in his family to go to college, earning his degree in economics from Youngstown University and later a master’s from West Virginia University. After serving during the Vietnam era and being stationed at Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs, he built a long and respected career teaching economics at the University of Colorado Denver, serving as Chief Fiscal Officer at Denver Water, and later as Assistant Vice Chancellor at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

When he retired, Geno did not slow down; he simply found new ways to give. He spent nearly twenty years volunteering with Meals on Wheels, including as Board President, managing projects at Inner City Community Development Corporation, and helping build accounting systems for Musana Community Development Organization in Uganda, a nonprofit founded by his two middle daughters.

If you ask anyone who knew him, Geno’s true legacy is not found in titles or accomplishments, but in his essence. He was gentle, big hearted, and quietly hilarious, known for his goofy jokes, his spontaneous piano playing, and his habit of waving at strangers just to brighten their day. He gave selflessly and often in secret, filling someone’s gas tank, slipping a twenty dollar bill into a meal delivery, or donating quietly to causes that helped others get back on their feet.

And above all, he loved. He loved his family, his friends, and even those he had just met. His greatest joy was being a husband, a dad, a brother, an uncle, and a grandpa.

He is survived by his wife and soulmate of forty-three years, Pat Pauline, and their four daughters, Theresa, Andrea, Leah, and Jenna, who were the joy of his life. He was the proud and adoring “Grampa” to ten grandchildren: Damalie (2004), Dezirae (2014), Kai (2015), Mia (2017), Joziah (2018), Mateo (2021), Javi (2023), Ezra (2023), Chloe (2024), and Baby Girl (coming 2026).

Even in his final days, Geno’s love was steady and selfless. On his very last day, he gave his nurses his trademark “Geno” kiss on the hand, his way of saying thank you even through the pain. He was, to the end, the sweetest man in the room.

He leaves behind a legacy of kindness, music, laughter, and unconditional love, a reminder to greet strangers, give quietly, and live as he did, knowing that family is everything and that everyone can be family if you let them.

A celebration of Geno’s life was held at Grace Point Community Church in Littleton, Colorado, on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at one o’clock in the afternoon. Link to the service is below. https://vimeo.com/1137451039/7b6cc89a2f

His ashes will be laid to rest at Olinger Chapel Hill Cemetery in Centennial, Colorado, a place where he, his girls, and his dog, Ollie, have spent, and will continue to spend, countless hours walking, laughing, and praying together. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Grace Point’s Food Bank, a cause that reflects his lifelong heart for service and generosity.

https://gracepointcc.churchcenter.com/giving