Gary Philip Genazzio - In Memoriam

On June 16, 2008, the world lost a friend, and 35 year collaborator of Lyn and Helga LaRouche—Gary Philip Genazzio. Throughout those 35 years, as a member of the International Caucus of Labor Committees, Gary fought to make sure there would be many generations to come.

To Gary, the paint brush was mightier than the sword. With that paint brush, and with a dedication to truth and justice, he will be remembered for all time. As Gary collaborated with Lyn and Helga to bring forth the New Just Economic order, he captured critical immortal moments in that fight, as he did in painting Indira Gandhi upon her death in 1984, as she was fighting to bring about a New Just Economic Order for all nations.

At the same time, Gary's brush and pencil created many headaches for the Brutish Empire, the enemies of that world of mutual benefit for all nations. From his illustrations in the Fidelio magazine, in Lyn's piece on The Most Evil Man of the 20th Century, Lord Bertrand Russell, to his infamous cartoon of Lord David Owen, the British Puppet Master in the Balkans who attempted to exterminate Bosnia-Herecegovina. Gary brought the soul of the Renaissance Artist to bear on the immediate political situation, thus giving countless individuals the insight to recognize the truth of the situation.

In point of fact, his cartoon capturing the evil of Lord David Owen, ended up on the front page of prominent Bosnian and Croatian newspapers, which led to a greater recognition of the hand of the British in creating and promoting, the early 1990's wars in the Balkans. The Bosnian government subsequently sued the BRITISH in the World Court of Justice in the Hague.

Gary served the US in the Air Force in the 1960's, being stationed at the Whitman Air Force Base in Missouri. He went from there to serving humanity, by joining the LaRouche Movement in the early 1970's.

At that time, in the late 1960's and early 1970's, Lyndon in numerous articles, speeches, and personal discussions, fought the fraud of the New Left, and its sex, rock drug counter culture hedonism. Gary was one of the first of the Baby Boomers to recognize this, and have the courage to break with what passed for "popular tastes in culture," and join with Lyn to combat this evil.

Gary shared that love for the transformation of mankind wherever he went throughout the years, whether it was New York City, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, or Davenport, Iowa. With his eye on the future, in the 1970's you could see Gary in action, for example, when he took on Henry Kissinger, at an intervention in New York at the Tavern on the Green. After a potent intervention, Kissinger ended up escaping, in the back of a kitchen delivery truck, with Gary in hot pursuit.

In the early 1980's, Gary played a pivotal role in the mass effect organizing throughout the Midwest. When Lyn called for a mass based effort to bring the policies of Franklin D. Roosevelt back into the Democratic Party, to counter the destructive effects of the Trilateral Commission's "controlled disintegration" of the US and world economy, Gary was there to hoist the flag of our National Democratic Policy Committee. As he ran for US Congress in Michigan in the Democratic Primary in 1986, and, WON an Iowa State Senate Democratic Nomination in 1988, the movement grew and helped inspire hundreds of others to be part of the "citizens-candidates" movement.

By the late 1990's, Gary was once again on the scene, in a conspiracy,to bring the reality of Lyn's Presidential Campaign and economic forecasts to the nation. Once again he took up the paint brush, and went to work. He painted the entire triple curve pedagogy of LaRouche on BOTH SIDES of an 18 wheeler truck, being driven by a LaRouche supporter from Wisconsin throughout the nation.

Throughout the centuries, when a warrior in battle falls, the question becomes: How do we, the living, take such a tragedy and discover through Gary's life ,what his having lived means for the future of mankind. How, we the living, build on his life to create a GREATER GOOD, with an eye to the future.
Gary will be missed, and his love of beauty and truth can be "seen" in a poem he took great delight in: Shelley's Ode to the West Wind--

   "Make me thy lyre,ev'n as the forest is:
What if my leaves are falling like its own!
The tumult of thy mighty harmonies
   Will take from both a deep autumnal tone,
   Sweet though in sadness. Be thou, Spirit fierce,
   My spirit! be thou me, impetuous one!
   Drive my dead thoughts over the universe,
   Like wither'd leaves, to quicken a new birth:
   And, by the incantation of this verse,
   Scatter, as from an unextinguish'd hearth
   Ashes and sparks, my words among mankind!
   Be through my lips to unawaken'd earth
   The trumpet of a prophecy! O Wind,
If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

by Gerald and Mindy Pechenuk

Remember I lived, forget I died

June 30, 2008

A beautiful memorial tribute was held in Chicago, celebrating the lives of Gary Genazzio and John Morris, two organizers whose lives were cut short, but whose souls are with us still. After the eulogy (below), the celebration opened with a movement from a Mozart string quartet, and right through to the concluding full chorus of Verdi's Va Pensiero, the gathering remembered our fallen heroes with poetry, song, and personal tributes. In the course of the evening Mozart joined Gary and John in smiling down upon us, as the LYM-Boomer chorus presented Beethoven's Im Arm der Liebe, and Mozart's “Ave Verum.” Songs presented included “Per la Gloria,” “Deep River,” and “Das ist der Tag des Herrn,” as well as “My Country Tis of Thee,” led by the LYM, which everyone sang. All the presentations -- an original poem, the Schiller poetry, the Shakespeare sonnets, the comments, stories, and remembrances -- reminded us of how fortunate we have been, to know and love John Morris and Gary Genazzio.

The display of photos and press clippings made a deep impression on everyone, while copies of John's article on Rizal and Gary's various art works gave us a glimpse of the creative spark that drove them and inspired others. The numerous condolence messages from all over the world, elaborated the profound impact that John and Gary had, each in their own individual way, on so many around the world. Both Gary and John were endeared to almost everyone they met -- their humor, irony, kindness, goofiness, talent, and creativity was known to many in different ways. Music was very precious for both Gary and John they both loved to sing. And as we dedicated our songs to them, guests who were newer to our movement, both youth and older people, realized how integral art and culture are to the political fight we are engaged in, and that this work contributed to making John and Gary, each so unique, such beautiful souls. Gary's paintings, which graced the room, drew out a lengthy discussion of his art, his talent and his teaching, which had touched so many in various ways. Anecdotes and discussion went on for hours after the presentations, as everyone remembered our irreplaceable friends.

Brief is the pain, the joy shall be eternal. We miss them dearly, but will carry on, and accomplish what they dedicated their lives to achieving.

------

Eulogy

This is, indeed, a Schilleresque moment. One the one hand, that which occasions our gathering here today is a tragic loss. A loss which ignites pain and a profound sense of loss.

On the other hand, our passion for the mission we shared with John and Gary, and for which they each gave the full measure of their devotion, puts us in the enviable position of resurrecting them from the ashes of their graves to continue their work on behalf of mankind. That can be a source of great comfort and great joy, even as it imposes an equally great responsibility.

We mourn the loss of a son, a brother, a friend, a collaborator, a gifted artist, a gifted historian. We mourn the greater good each would have contributed to the future, had they lived.

We find joy in committing ourselves to ensuring that the good bequeathed by each shall not go with them to their graves. But, shall live on through us.

We remember them, not as from the past, but as part of the ever-present simultaneity of eternity where they each have earned their rightful seat, where our own true human identities reside, and where the future of civilization shall be determined.

We shall therefore celebrate, even with heavy hearts.

See Gary’s Photo Album

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