Retired printer Gene McClellan, 73, dies

Retired printer Gene McClellan, 73, passed away Monday, March 19. He was born Dec. 6, 1938 to Earl and Eileen McClellan.

Public viewing hours will be 9:30 a.m. Monday, April 2 at Hopkins Lawver Funeral Home at 547 Canton Road in Ellet. Services will begin at 10:30 a.m. April 2 at the funeral home with Pastor Rich Ferris officiating. The funeral will be followed by a private family burial in Ellet Cemetery.

Friends may join in celebrating Gene following the services Monday, from 12:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hibernian Social Club, 2000 Brown Street, Akron. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made on the behalf of Gene A. McClellan to Mogadore High School.

Gene is survived by his wife of 30 years (Christine); two daughters, Tracy Hackman (husband Ken) of Albuquerque, New Mexico and Erin, also married, of San Luis Obispo, California, and a son, Dean (wife Michio), who lives in Japan; and three brothers, Robert (wife Barbara Jean) in Philadelphia, Wayne (wife Doris) in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Richard in Mogadore; and two grandchildren (Arthur and Jacob).

The story, as told by family, friends and co-workers:

Gene complained of a pain in his upper shoulder and down his arm at the monthly meeting of BJ retirees at Papa Joe's on Akron/Peninsulva Road on Wednesday, March 14. Newsroom retiree Tom Moore and retired printer Al Hunsicker suggested that Gene see a doctor.

When Gene went to his doctor the next day, he was taken to Akron General Hospital, where tests were run. Diagnosis: Gene needed a triple heart bypass operation. Gene was released from Akron General on Saturday.

Gene's brother, Richard, talked to Gene at 11:30 p.m. that Saturday. When Richard drove from Mogadore to pick up Gene at his Chippewa Avenue home in Akron on Sunday morning, Richard found Gene sitting in a chair, dead.

Richard and Gene worked together on 1980s cars and on clocks. "He had two Fieros," Richard said, "and got one running." At times Gene had as many as five autos -- one a Porsche -- and a motorcycle in his two garages for the McClellan brothers to work on.

Gene was hired at the BJ by Composing room superintendent Bill Church, who knew Gene because Church attended the same church as Gene’s Mom.

"When I walked through those double doors" to Composing, Gene said, "and heard all that noise, I knew this was where I wanted to be." And he was, for more than 40 years.

As for the cars in his garages, Gene said: “It gives me something to work on, and my brother, too.”

Gene’s latest car project was an old clunker that he bought three or four years ago and cannibalized for parts to use on another car. But then he decided the clunker would be a good project to “keep me off the streets” to see if he could get that clunker chugging down the highway.

Gene once worked for the railroad.

Gene had been to 13 consecutive BJ retirees lunches at Papa Joe’s after missing the January 2011 lunch when a heavy snowstorm meant no one showed up.

In February 2010 Gene and engraving retiree Pat Dougherty were the only ones who showed up during another snowstorm.

Pat reported in the BJ Alums blog: “We spent much of our time remembering past blizzards when many of our colleagues walked to work through the snow just to make sure the paper got out on time. We recalled seeing a picture in Tower Topics of Jim Darr's high-wheeled garden tractor that he used to get to work during a blizzard sitting in the parking deck.”

Jim was the BJ press room superintendent for many years.

Gene attended 87 of the past 88 monthly BJ retirees lunches at Papa Joe's.

If any of Gene's friends want to attend the 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 11 BJ retirees lunch at Papa Joe's, at Akron/Peninsula Road and Portage Trail Extension, it will be in memory of Gene, our most faithful attendee.