He is survived by his loving wife of 68 years, Nancy; sons Eugene (Ilene) and John (Laura); grandchildren Rachel, Abby, Matthew and Madalyn; and sister-in-law Louise Avallone.
Born in Jamaica Queens, NY in 1927, Gene was one of four children of Michael and Mary Avallone. An industrious teen, he worked for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company right out of high school before enlisting in the Navy during WWII. With a special fleet appointment as a second class petty officer, he entered the US Naval Academy and graduated in the Class of 1952 and was commissioned an ensign. It was around this time that he met his wife, Nancy Maddi Avallone, at a party at Connecticut College for Women. They were married June 18,1955 in her hometown of Binghamton, NY and moved to Philadelphia.
Gene’s naval career spanned 32 years. He served in Korea with the Amphibious Forces before attending submarine school in 1953. After learning to command submarines, he was selected to attend MIT and earned masters degrees in both Naval Architecture and Nuclear Engineering. His career positions in the Navy included Ship Superintendent for Submarines at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Director of Ship Programs for the Assistant Secretary of the Navy and Production Officer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, ME among others. He also enjoyed his tenure as an instructor in Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics at the Naval Academy. He earned an additional masters degree in Personnel Management from George Washington University and participated in the Executive Development Program at Cornell while in the Navy. He was Assistant Editor of the Naval Engineers Journal for five years, and published numerous articles.
Following his Navy retirement, Gene worked for eight years at the Gould Corporation, followed by ten years at Anne Arundel Community College as Director of Facilities.
Volunteering was a large part of Gene’s life. Along with Nancy, they dedicated years of service to the Naval Academy Chapel and Chaplains Office and Gene served on the House and Admissions Committees at the Academy. He also volunteered with the USO at BWI Airport, welcoming soldiers back from overseas. He volunteered for several years at the Annapolis Visitors Center and served on the Board of Ginger Cove retirement community.
Gene’s zest for life, love of family, dedication to service, and friendly demeanor will be remembered by all who were fortunate to know him.
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