Eugene Craig Pietrini

Eugene Craig Pietrini was born in Niles, Illinois on April 27, 1953 to Italian parents Josephine and Eugene Sr.  He and his older brother Jim grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. Gene attended Maine South High School and went on to study History at Taylor University in Indiana. At 19, he left home for California so that he could attend Point Loma College in San Diego and surf. In his senior year at Point Loma, Gene met a 19 year old freshman girl named Blair Conley (that many mistook for his sister).  They would eventually date, marry, and have 3 beautiful babies (Nicole, Taylor, and Landon, in that order).

Gene and Blair later moved to Long Beach, CA where Gene received his teaching credential from Long Beach State.  They later moved to Fresno in 1982 when Blair was 7 months pregnant with their daughter Nicole. Gene served as a youth pastor for Victory Christian Fellowship in Fresno for 4 years before moving the family to Nipomo, CA, where he worked as a financial planner and stock broker.

Gene and Blair eventually moved to Seal Beach where Gene volunteered as youth pastor at Cottonwood Church before going on staff to serve in this same role, one he cherished for many years.  He served in a number of different roles during his 30 years at Cottonwood, but his most beloved was directing the Celebrate Recovery program, a 12-step program he introduced to the church. On January 21, 2021, Gene was able to fulfill his lifelong dream of opening his very own wood fired pizza restaurant. We are so grateful he lived to see that dream become a reality before his passing.

Gene is survived by his wife Blair of 41 years (Dec 21, 2021), his children, Nicole (Mason), Taylor, and Landon (Kendrika), his grandchildren Almanzo Muir Pietrini, Henry James Ingram, Mariposa McLeod Pietrini, and Manolo Pietrini (due any day now!).