January 19, 2006

Remembering Rocky

Former Almaden Golf and Country Club board president
Rocco Genevese, 69, loses fight with cancer

By Lorraine Gabbert
Staff Writer

On Dec. 22, Rocco ‘Rocky’ Genovese, 69, lost his fight against cancer; but he will not be forgotten by the many lives he touched in Almaden.

Rocky and Joy Genovese had a wonderful life together. Photos courtesy of the Genovese Family.

His spirit lives on in his wife and children, at Almaden Golf and Country Club where he served as board president and at Burke Industries, at which he served for 12 years as president and CEO.

Genovese will be sorely missed. Community-members, co-workers, friends and family turned out in droves to attend his memorial service at Holy Spirit Church in San Jose and several spoke of their memories of the man who touched their lives.

“Whether you called him ‘Rocco,’ ‘Rocky’ or just ‘Rock,’ never was a man so aptly named,” says co-worker Bob Pitman. “He was everyone’s rock; a solid, strong, hard- working guy…perfectly suited to lead others.”

Genovese was a man who gave his all, all the time. He enjoyed life and lived it to its fullest, rising to the top in whatever he put his mind to, including the Rotary Club, Almaden Golf and Country Club and Burke Industries.

He also realized another dream: marrying Joy, his high school sweetheart. Together, they welcomed five children and five grandchildren into the world, raising them in a home filled with laughter and unconditional love.

Joy and Rocky first met in kindergarten at a Catholic school in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. They started dating in high school, marrying shortly after graduation. His family was Italian, while hers was Irish and English.

Italy was never far from Rocky’s father’s heart. Like his siblings before him, from age 3 to 10, his father Carl was sent to Sicily to live with relatives to experience its culture.

Shortly before Rocky and Joy were wed, Carl moved the family to the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, as its fig, orange and lemon trees reminded him of Italy. The newlyweds soon followed.

In the 1980s, Rocky finally had the chance to visit Italy. Following in Carl’s footsteps, he and Joy stayed with relations in the village his father had lived in as a boy and held so dear.

A self-made man
As a young man interviewing at Burke Industries, Genovese was asked what his goals were in working for the corporation. “To be president and own the company,” he replied with conviction. Before retiring, he realized both of these goals, as president, CEO and partner.

Genovese quickly rose through the ranks at Burke Industries, which supplies flooring, rubber, vinyl and silicon based products to the aerospace, construction, marine and electronics industries. In 1974, he was promoted to vice president and division manager, and became chief operating officer and president in 1988. Under his leadership, Genovese led Burke Industries through several acquisitions, tripled revenues and added more than $100 million of shareholder value. In 1997, he sold the company for almost five times its original purchase price.

In addition to his business prowess, Genovese impressed Pitman in his personal approach. “Rocky had an ability to make people comfortable, no matter their position,” Pitman says. “Everyone wanted to be like him.”

Rocky Genovese enjoyed playing bocce with his good friends and teammates at Campo di Bocce in Los Gatos. Top row, from the left are Bob Puppo, Tom Collins, Gene Guido and Vince Sanfilippo. Bottom, from left are Rocky Genovese and Carlos Aparicio.

He was also well known for his great sense of humor. “Rocky liked a good joke to such an extent that you could never tell him one he didn’t already know,” recalls Pitman. A co-worker once accompanied Rocky to dinner with a client and wagered that the customer couldn’t tell a joke Rocky couldn’t finish. The man came up with five or six jokes, but Rocky knew every one. “Finally,” says Pitman, “He was telling this one story and Rocky interrupted him to confess that he honestly didn’t know that one. ‘Me neither,’ the customer replied, ‘I was just making it up to see what would happen!’”

To honor their mentor, Burke Industries has renamed one of their most popular flooring colors to ‘Rocky.’ “Every week, we will take orders for Rocky, make production runs of Rocky and label packaging with his name,” says Pitman. “We hope this keeps his name in front of our employees and customers for many years and we think he would get a kick out of this small gesture.”

Life with Rocky
Genovese had keen insight into how to succeed, both professionally and personally. He was determined, persistent and motivated. He was also incredibly kind, generous and fun to be with. “You never had to ask him for anything,” says his daughter, Denise Phipps. “He constantly made sure everyone was taken care of.”

Between neighbors, the country club, poker and bocce, the Genovese family has always had a large circle of friends, and whether in Willow Glen or Almaden, they threw several parties a year. About 120 guests regularly attended their Kentucky Derby party (which was cancelled last year for the first time in 25 years due to Rocky’s illness).

Genovese made life fun for everyone around him. “He always had a joke,” says Phipps. “He knew them all,” agrees Joy. “People wanted to be around him and be entertained,” she says. His easy-going nature and sense of humor led to long-lasting friendships as well as a happy home-life.

When he retired after devoting 44 years of service to Burke Industries, Genovese focused on his grandchildren, family trips and cooking. He relished watching a cooking show on Saturday and recreating the recipe for Sunday night’s dinner.

“Rocky enjoyed life, and our children enjoyed having fun with us,” says Joy. “They all live within 50 miles of our home and are here all the time.” With their children, grandchildren and significant others, the family now numbers 18. “It’s always a houseful and always a party,” says Joy. “That’s what life was like with Rocky.”

They also shared in special times and family traditions. Every year, the entire clan came together for the Fourth of July at their Lake Tahoe cabin. Christmas was celebrated at Joy and Rocky’s home, where the women cooked fried shrimp in the kitchen, wearing the same aprons and posing for the same photo they always did. Eight years ago, Joy and Rocky also had the chance to visit Disneyland with the whole family, and see it anew through their grandchildren’s eyes.

Almaden life
Genovese served for three years on the board of the Almaden Golf and Country Club before becoming president in 1987. Although they joined the club in 1973, Joy and Rocky waited to move to the area until nine years ago, when their children finished school in Willow Glen. The final incentive came when friends decided to sell their well appointed home, which Joy had admired over the years. “I always loved this house,” says Joy. As she and Rocky were both avid golfers, the terraced backyard situated beside the 14th hole was an added bonus.

As long time members of the Almaden Golf and Country Club, retiring in Almaden was ideal, and their home, a dream come true. With its sculptures and dramatic stained glass accents designed by California artist James Hubbell, floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows showcasing the golf course, and majestic oak tress framing the pool and garden, it was the perfect retreat. “We don’t need to go to Carmel to be on vacation,” says Phipps, “just the backyard at Mom and Dad’s house.”

A giving heart
From school to sports to small business, Genovese was steadfast in his support and always ready to lend a hand. “He helped me start my own business from investment to laying the restaurant’s concrete floor,” says Phipps. As his children grew up, he was always there, coaching Little League games, and cheering them on all the way through high school sports. He supported Presentation High School’s first golf tournament and ongoing fundraising, as well as assisting with its softball field. “All you had to do was ask,” says Phipps, “and he did it.”

He was also actively involved in community organizations, from the East San Jose Rotary Club to the Civic Club. An avid sports fan, he and Joy regularly attended 49ers, Giants and Sharks games. He also enjoyed playing bocce with friends and was a member at Campo di Bocce in Los Gatos.

Remembering Rocky
Genovese loved to smoke. When he was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer a year and a half ago, he and Joy both knew his time was limited. “It hit us like a ton of bricks,” she says.

Yet, even at the end of his life, Genovese gave his all for his family. It was just the kind of man he was. On Dec. 4, with his children’s help, he threw a surprise party for Joy’s 70th birthday at the Almaden Golf and Country Club. “Shortly after the party, he weakened quickly,” says Joy. “It was as if he willed himself to be there.”

Moved by her father’s courage and spirit throughout his battle with cancer, every morning, before he left for chemotherapy or radiation, Phipps would post a hand-made illustrated sign on the garage door with messages like, ‘Laugh,’ ‘Stay Strong,’ ‘You’re Our Hero!’

She was also impressed with her mother’s strength. “Here is a woman who shared a life with my dad for over 50 years,” she says. “And although she had dealt with life’s challenges, not too much compares to care-giving for a loved one. My mom is just as much a hero to me as my dad was.”

This year, when the family came for Christmas Eve, they tried their best to carry on and do things the way they always did, but it was not the same. Their thoughts would turn to the man who had meant so much and made their world complete. “A tear would come to our eyes,” says Joy, “but we’d say, ‘No, we have to be happy.’”

Rocky Genovese was 69 years old when he died. He left his family much too soon, but he also left them memories to last a lifetime. “My heart has a tremendous void,” says Phipps, “but my mind is rich because of my dad. Dad gave me and my family a wonderful life, and that is what we will take with us.”

Pitman will never forget the friend and mentor who taught him as much about life as business. “You can’t measure the value of a life in years, but rather in how you use them,” he says. “Rocky totally lived his life. His energy was felt by all of us, and he brought out the best in those who were lucky enough to have worked with him. We at Burke will miss him, and yet always feel his presence in our company.”

Joy will always cherish her life with Rocky and the man he was. He filled her world with love and laughter. “We had a wonderful life together,” she says. “It was a lot of fun.”