Name: T.G. McCarthy Funeral Home
Address: Pueblo, CO

Mike and I are newer members of this beautiful Beulah community and have had the privilege of getting to know Gene along the way.  What a wonderful man who always brought a smile when he came to our home with Karl.  The service and graveside were very touching events.  He will not be forgotten.

“Uncle Gene” is a memory of a man who was always smiling and kind. I knew him best when I was growing up as a friend of my family and the the uncle of one of my best friends, Linda. He was always quick with a joke and an inquiry of what I’d been doing to keep busy. This, in itself, would always make me laugh because what does a kid really do? But “Uncle Gene” still wanted to know. Godspeed, Uncle Gene!

He was my teacher at Highland Park in 65....I always appreciated the time he put in with his teaching and ceramics after school....he truly loved children.
He always on Fridays would let myself and some others sing  songs out of Mad Magazine ...he lived to laugh with us.
Many memories of a great teacher.
My prayers to family.

I recall when we moved from the San Luis Valley to Pueblo, our daughter was so anxious about starting a new school for 5th grade. She had been with the same kids since kindergarten in a small farming school.  Praise God for Mr Potestio, he was her first teacher in Pueblo.  He was exactly what she needed, a kind-hearted soft spoken man.  She loved Mr. Potestio and how he helped her with the transition to a new school, much bigger than what she was used to. Gene, I salute who you were and the Legacy you leave.   I will miss you and I pray for your family through all these days ahead. 

Mr. Potestio was a great man, and the best teacher I was blessed with at Highland Park. He taught us not only the subjects of study, but also how we should be when we reached adulthood. Being in his 6th grade class in 1968 was a gift that I have appreciated more every year since then. I did well in his class, not because he was demanding, but because he treated everyone so well that you wanted to do well for him.I tried to be the kind of teacher he was when I became a teacher,. Even though I fell way short, at least I aspired to be as good as Mr. Potestio was. Mr. Potestio has never been far from my thoughts since I was in his class, and while his passing has made me very sad, he will continue to always be in my thoughts. I am, and always will be, forever grateful for having been fortunate enough to have been in Mr. Eugene Potestio’s classroom as his student. His lessons live on!

our thoughts & memories are with you at this time love Vern and CelineHardy

Let Me Tell You About My Dad (2 of 2)

It was also his “actions.”  Dad was always welcoming of everyone.  He always sent a birthday card with money regardless of how old we got.  He always signed his cards to me with Xs and Os for hugs and kisses.  He loved to feed the deer in Beulah and sit on the porch and enjoy nature.  And he was there for every milestone: my high school graduation, my college graduation, fixing up my first home with Russell, my engagement, and my wedding.
It was also his “travels.”  Dad would never go anywhere without Mom, but together they were able to experience a lot of cool things with Russell and me.  Dad got to see the Rochester Rock Art Panel in Emery County, Utah, take a trip underground in a coal mine, ride in a Duck Boat (which was an amphibious vehicle) in Pittsburgh, visit Monticello (the home of Thomas Jefferson), visit Mount Vernon (the home of George Washington), Washington D.C., Arlington National Cemetery, and an underground tour of a hard rock mine.
I recommend you all take a moment to watch the slide show of pictures, so you can enjoy these memories as well.  Dad was special, Dad was memorable, and Dad was MY Dad.
So I leave you with a poem, in part, from Walt Whitman:
“I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love.  If you want me again, look for me under your boot soles.  You will hardly know who I am or what I mean, but I shall be good help to you nevertheless, and filter and fiber your blood.  Failing to fetch me at first, keep encouraged.  Missing me one place search another.  I stop somewhere, waiting for you.”
This is how I think of Dad.  He may no longer be here on this Earth, but I only have to see the beauty in Nature to think of him and feel his presence.  He is not gone….he is around…all of us.
His Loving Daughter,
Rose


Let Me Tell You About My Dad (1 of 2)

For me my Dad is a summation of things that made him “Dad”.  It was going to any store in Pueblo, CO and people thinking he was my Uncle Chuck and that he delivered their babies.  He was always gracious and went along with it – which is a key characteristic of my father.  Never got angry, always calm…..a soothing presence.
It was also his “look”.  Always in jeans, a plaid snap button shirt, a zip-up hoodie (for cooler days), metal rimmed glasses, and a hat.  Looking through pictures, I realized that his hats were reflective of where he was going.  There are work hats with Karl, but then special occasion hats; hats pertaining to where Russell and I worked, or a CSU hat for when they took me to college.  And finally, toothpicks…guaranteed after every meal Dad would have a toothpick in his mouth.
It was also his “personality”.  My Dad had several “catch phrases” which will always and forever be his phrases.  Any time someone did something onry he would say “Sheckty”.  Instead of saying yes to my mother, he would say “Yabow”.  And instead of saying its ok, he would say “That’ssss Alllriighht”.  He was also a comic.  Animated facial expressions that were worth every penny.  And he was extremely ticklish, which my brother Karl would often exploit.  Dad could also whistle with the best of them.  And I can’t forget to mention to one thing that was very “Dad”…how much he loved Russell.  Russell was the golden child in my Dad’s eyes and he would always call him “my boy my boy” or “my son”.  If Russell said the sky was purple, Dad would agree.
It was also his “food.”  Dad loved any sort of pastry or dessert.  Even for breakfast.  Russell coined the phrase a “Geno Breakfast” anytime we heard he was having a pastry with coffee.  Dad loved my burritos, especially if they were wrapped by Russell…that made them taste even better.  And you can’t forget, a meal is not complete without a Mountain Dew to go with it.


Gene and I always had a good time.  We didn’t need to be married to love each other and have fun.  Gene, the kids, and I always had a good time together.  We went on vacation together, spent holidays together, and always did it as a family.  I will miss him immensely.  He can never be replaced.  He was a true partner in my life.  I know he is watching over us, and one day we will be together again.
Your Honey,
Alma


To the Potestio  Family: We meet Gene at Highland park, what a special  human he was.  I don't think I heard him get up set at anything the most kind hearted person I ever know. May you rest in peace and may God comfort your family in this time of need. Until we meet again  in heaven.

So sorry to hear of the loss of Gene     My Sympathy and prayers  to the family       
Eugene  Anthony Potestio







From Kyle, Tyra, Mya and Kaleb,
 We love you so much uncle Gene u have been so grateful to my family and open arms with my family. You will be missed. 
Love you lots 

Gone but never forgotten!  
My Uncle Gene, a man that was always so very kind and loving to me.  My gentle giant.
I love his laugh, his big smile and calling me his PIA when I was little.  
I remember helping in his ceramic shop, and marveling at the transformation each piece would undergo in the kiln.  I am transported to that basement shop whenever I hear a classic old song that we would sing to.
He was always ready, willing and able to help should my mother with 3 kids call.  
Uncle Gene is the epitome of the family man.  He had a strong work ethic and never tired of helping.  Not one to bring attention to himself he loved his parents, and brothers and their families with a quiet strong love.  
Married later in life, his love grew to include his wife and 4 kids.  I got to see a different side of him as he grew into fatherhood.  
His love for animals never wavered.  He loved his pets,  feeding the hummingbirds, building bird houses, and feeding whatever animal might wander onto his property.
I will miss you Uncle Gene but am forever grateful for how you lived your life.  May this generation never forget your quiet strength and love.

Karl, Kelly, and Family~
We are so very sorry to hear about the passing of Mr.  Potestio, he was such a wonderful man. We send all of our love and prayers during this difficult time and please let us know if you need anything at all. We will miss him dearly
With deepest sympathy, 
The Alire and Ortiz Family 

I am so sorry for your loss, please accept my sincere condolences, i would be there if they would let me, but they will only let in a few.  I will surely miss him. God Bless Him and the family. Love Ed

Gene, some people would say you are not my real Dad, but we know that is not true. For you have been a real Dad to me in all the things I have been through. You have always been there when I needed you and that is what matters in the end. 
You have been a mentor, who was kind to me, and firm in my teen years. I have grown to the man you have guided me to, and I am eternally grateful to you and Alma that you called me your son. Though we are not tied by blood the love and trust you have given me is a precious gift, day after day. That is what counts as a REAL DAD to me.  
Love always, your Son Carl Piazza


OBITUARY

Eugene Emelio Potestio

January 27, 1936 – April 28, 2021

T.G. McCarthy Funeral Home

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Updates

Services