Margaret Mary (Pasternak) Genet

BARBERTON---Margaret Mary Genet, age 93, of Barberton died Tuesday, January 5, 2021, with the love of her life, Joe, by her side and following good-byes from their five children. She was born on July 6, 1927, to Joseph and Mary Pasternak, Czechoslovakian immigrants, in Barberton, Ohio, and raised in their Slovak culture and language until being introduced to the English language starting in grade school.  She attended Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic School, Highland Junior High School and graduated from Barberton High School. She met Joseph (Joe) Leo Genet quite unexpectedly on January 1, 1950, two days before he departed for his second Navy tour.  She stopped at a birthday party on her way to a German dance, and while she never made it to that dance, she found her life-long dance partner and soul mate of nearly 67 years.  Joe and “Pestie” became engaged in 1951 and wed on April 24, 1954 in Barberton. Their marriage brought five children who were lovingly raised in the home built by Joe.  It was regularly, if not daily, frequented with visits from members of their large extended family and many close friends.  Pestie was a devoted homemaker.  She made clothes for her children, helped manage a large garden, did embroidery, and enjoyed cake decorating.   She had a wonderful sense of humor, enjoyed telling jokes, playing cards, bingo and board games, and loved to dance.  If you think you are hearing thunder, it is probably her making her way through a polka around heaven’s dance floor.  Her legacy lives on through her children, grandchildren and great-grandchild. Margaret was a member of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church and later Prince of Peace where she regularly served as a greeter along with Joe or her sister, Mary.  She prayed the rosary daily and was a devout member of the Catholic faith.  She lived at Pleasant Pointe Assisted Living since 2019 where she was lovingly cared for and for whose administration and staff we are forever grateful. She is survived by her husband, Joe, of Barberton, and her five children:  Frederick Genet and wife Kit of Lillington, NC; Peggy Goe and husband Rich of Pinehurst, NC; Joani Hedderick and husband Scott of Hudson, OH; Robert Genet and wife Irene of Barberton, OH; and Jeanie Cunningham and husband Ken of Brecksville, OH; 12 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild; her loving sister, Mary Zinkovich, of Barberton, OH, and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family.  She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Michael and Joseph, and great grandson Nicholas Joseph Kaiser.  We are comforted by thoughts of her being with them now. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, January 8, 2021, at Prince of Peace Catholic Church, 1263 Shannon Avenue, Norton. Fr. Robert Jackson celebrant. Social distancing will be observed and masks required. Family members ask that out of concern for your safety and theirs, attendees join to celebrate Margaret’s life but refrain from gathering in groups around family members. For those who would like to view Margaret’s service remotely, the Service will be videotaped and made available on the Silva-Hostetler Funeral Home website later that day. Private Burial at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery to follow.  There will be no calling hours.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the “Genet Family Scholarship Fund” benefiting Barberton Students, in care of the Barberton Community Foundation, 460 W. Paige Ave., Barberton, OH 44203. A Celebration of Margaret’s Life will be held at a later date.

To share a memory, send a condolence or view her Video-Gift tribute, please visit www.Silva-Hostetler.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Margaret Mary (Pasternak) Genet, please visit our floral store.