Gene "Geno" Louis Biggi

Geno passed away at his home in Palm Desert, California, on December 10, 2022. He was born Gene Louis Biggi to his parents, Louis and Rose Biggi, on April 28, 1928. Raised in Beaverton, Geno excelled at sports and is named in the Beaverton High School Hall of Fame.

Geno’s incredible journey through life was paved with a pride in hard work, which he learned early in life from his mom. Rose immigrated from Italy in the early 1920’s with little more to her name than the ability to purchase 15 acres of farmland in Beaverton, OR. She started Beaverton Horseradish Company in her basement to provide for her family.

Rose was fond of the saying, “God give us health and energy and we will do the rest.” Geno took this to heart and it can be found on the walls of Beaverton Foods today.

As Geno took over the company, which is now known as Beaverton Foods, her wisdom continued to guide him. He quickly made a name for himself with his creativity and innovation in the specialty condiment industry. Geno expanded the company from a small farmhouse basement to a state of the art manufacturing facility with over 100 employees.

In the decades since Geno took the reins, Beaverton Foods was awarded more gold medals at the National Mustard Championships than any other company in the field. He was personally awarded the coveted James Beard Award and he was inducted into the National Hall of Fame by the Specialty Foods Association as a result of his innovations.

Beaverton Foods’ products can be found in 97% of grocery stores across the Country.

Geno was an avid golfer with 2 hole-in-ones. He loved to ski with his friends and enjoyed spending time and sharing stories with his many friends and family. He also became a major investor in real estate.

Geno is survived by his children Allyson, Dean, Domonic, Dana and Anthony Biggi, and grandchildren Jeffrey, Geno, Luke, Jake, Mia, Nieco and Roman Biggi. With his former wife Lindi Biggi, he was a major contributor to Beaverton’s Patricia Reser Center for the Arts.

A funeral Mass for Geno will be celebrated at St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church in Beaverton on January 12 at 11:00. A private interment will occur with the family. He will be laid to rest at Mount Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions should be made in Geno’s name to Beaverton High School for its football program.