Concord, NH – Eugene “Gene” George Rudolph, 104, of Concord, NH passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, November 25th. He was born in NYC, NY on January 4, 1921, the only son of Elsie (Ringle) Rudolph and George Rudolph.
Gene grew up in Flushing, Queens, NY. He served in the US Navy during WWII in the South Pacific. In 1948, in Northport, NY, he married the love of his life, Irene Penton. They started a family together and then moved to Glen Head, NY in 1954, raising five children. He loved all his children equally and was proud of all their accomplishments. Watching his grandchildren grow into adulthood and being able to meet his great, grandchildren made him incredibly happy. He and Irene retired to Weare, NH in 1983 and eventually moved to Concord, NH in 2000. Traveling to Europe and especially the many trips across the country in their camper, the Vixen, was a big part of their retirement. He was instrumental in volunteering in both the Weare Community TV station and at ConcordCCTV. His love and skill for photography were evident throughout their home where many of his photos adorned the walls. Volunteering at the Concord Historical Society, sorting pictures helped him learn a lot about the history of NH, which he enjoyed. He was happily married for 68 years until Irene’s passing in 2016.
One of the highlights of his early days was getting to spend time with his dad working at the Hippodrome Theater in NYC. This is where he acquired his passion for theater and music. He had many wonderful memories and stories of time spent there. Playing the saxophone in the band in HS, whet his appetite for music which spanned many genres. He enjoyed opera to Billy Joel and everything in between. He started his career in early television, joining I.A.T.S.E Local One union, in 1949. He was involved with the early transition of black and white tv to color tv and many live productions, while working for NBC and CBS. He often collaborated with his dad on a show, sometimes he was even the boss. When The Colonial Theatre on 62nd and Broadway was transformed into a live TV studio, he became the Chief Electrician. Working with the union and in tv was his true passion, often sharing many stories of the stars that he met or worked with. The Union honored him last spring for 75 years of service; the longest serving member. In 1959, he started his own company, Lite-Trol Service Co, Inc., while still working at WNEW, channel 5 in NYC. One of his most memorable jobs was working at JFK’s inaugural gala in 1961 which was hosted by Frank Sinatra. He never tired of hearing about the lighting industry and all the changes that had occurred in his lifetime.
He never truly stopped working or learning. People would often ask him, what is the secret of living so long? His answer was seen in his sparkling, twinkling eyes “if I told you, then it wouldn’t be a secret”.
Gene will be dearly missed by his family, his neighbors, his Saturday morning calls from Steve , Kim, who kept his place organized, his union brothers and sisters and everyone whose life he touched, including the care givers during the last 3 months. A special thank you to Granite VNA and Presidential Oaks for taking such loving care of him.
He was predeceased by his parents, Elsie and George Rudolph, his stepfather, Ted Cerosky, his wife, Irene, his two brothers-in-law, Frank and Fred Penton, his sister-in-law Laurette Penton and his son-in-law, James Busby.
He is survived by his five children, Jeanne McCollum of MA, Richard Rudolph (Patty) of FL, Laurie Owen (Stuart) of DE, Toni Verville (Martin) of NH and Peter Rudolph (Patrice) of CO; and his beloved grandchildren Jason Rudolph (Vicky), Andrew Rudolph (Lindsay), Maggie Conn, Rebecca McCollum, Holly Ensby (Alex), Kate Reinhardt (Kyle), and Elizabeth Busby, along with 3 great grandchildren, and his nieces and nephews.
Burial will be private. A celebration of life will be held in the spring.
Donations may be made in his name to the Granite VNA (www.granitevna.org) , 30 Pillsbury St, Concord, NH 03301 or Behind the Scenes, (btshelp.org/gene), PO Box 368, Lakeville, CT 06039.
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