Eugene A. Ghari

Gene Ghari passed away on June 15, 2019 from a stroke. And in typical Gene fashion, he had attended parties, luncheons and played golf until the day before he died.

Gene was born in Elmhurst, New York, served in the Navy during WWII, and went to Hofstra University on the
GI bill. He started his career in advertising at McCann Erickson when it was truly full of “Mad Men” antics. There, he met his beautiful wife, Diane. They were married in 1956, and several years later, he became the International Advertising Manager for Mobil Oil. When he retired at age 62, he had been to every continent except Antarctica, escaped revolutions, made friends in every country he frequented, and courteously ate every local delicacy from lamb’s eyeballs to dancing shrimp.

When Gene wasn’t traveling the globe, he was Mr. Fix-it for friends and neighbors, who paid him in scotch and tennis balls. After retirement, he took up golf and charged a small fee for his handyman services. He soon became popular at both the Scarsdale Golf Club and among homeowners in Westchester County who clamored for his handyman skills. He was thrilled when at 89, he shot his age at a golf tournament. He was a long-standing member of the Scarsdale Golf Club and played with the Westchester Eastern Seniors. He played 18 holes of golf whenever he could, up until 2019, when he decided to scale back to 9 holes.

Gene had a zest for life and believed in always staying active. He adored Diane, his wife of 63 years, and enjoyed playing golf with his son, Chris Ghari, of Bronxville. He also loved visiting with his daughter, Jill Ghari Vellinger, of Pleasanton, California, his son-in-law, Rob, and his two granddaughters, Kristen and Jamie Vellinger.

In all respects, his was a life well lived, and so he will be well missed.