West Bridgewater - Eugene Kostecki, 70, died suddenly, but peacefully, at his daughter's home in Chatham, N.Y., on Monday, Nov. 12, 2007.
He was the husband of the late Sylvia Hashem Kostecki; and father to Lynn Kostecki Brown of Chatham, N.Y., and Anita Kostecki of Worcester.
Born in the Ukraine in 1937, the seventh son of Andrew and Catherine Kostecki, Eugene emigrated to the United States as an orphan in 1948, in the aftermath of World War II.
He lived with extended family in East Bridgewater and graduated from East Bridgewater High School in 1955.
He became a U.S. citizen on Nov. 15, 1957.
He was married to Sylvia on Nov. 17, 1957. This Saturday would have been Gene and Sylvia's 50th wedding anniversary.
Mr. Kostecki served in the Brockton unit of the Massachusetts National Guard in the late 1950s.
He completed barber school and opened his own barbershop in West Bridgewater in 1962. "Gene the Barber" was still continuing to work at the time of his death.
He was an active member of the West Bridgewater Lions Club during the 1970s.
He served for 34 years as the West Bridgewater representative on the Southeastern Regional Vocational School Board, spending many of those years as chairman of the board and retired in 2006.
Gene seemed to enjoy life most when he was helping others.
In addition to his daughters Lynn and Anita, Gene is survived by his sons-in-law, Stephen Brown and Michael Ennis; and five grandchildren, Christopher, Alexander and Adam Brown and Jackson and Hannah Ennis. His children and grandchildren were the joy of his life.
Calling hours will be from 4-8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16, 2007, at Prophett Funeral Home, 98 Bedford St., Bridgewater. The funeral service will be Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007, at 10 a.m. from the Prophett Funeral Home, followed by burial at Pine Hill Cemetery in West Bridgewater.
Donations may be made to Southeastern Regional High School, 250 Foundry St., South Easton, MA 02375, designated to the Eugene Kostecki Scholarship Fund.