Eugene F. Fedorchak 1938-2024

Eugene, or Geno, as people often called him, was born on April 16, 1938, to parents Joseph A. Fedorchak and Susan B. Sabol Fedorchak in Youngstown.

If you knew Geno, you knew his zest for life and love of music. He always had a story to tell or a joke to share. He was energized by the people he met, whether he knew them or not; and his generosity, kindness and great sense of humor touched countless lives.

During his high school years, he met Martha Louise Zoldak at a dance. Geno and Martha married on May 2, 1959, and went on to have four children, Linda of Cuyahoga Falls; Arlene Overly (Niles) of Columbus; Carol of Beltsville, Maryland; and Lisa Zeik (Brian) of Los Alamos, New Mexico. Geno was blessed with five grandchildren, Kristen Overly, Lauren Overly, Ryan Zeik, Gina Zeik and Audrey Zeik. Music was a staple in his life, but his children brought joy and meaning to his world.

Geno later met Josephine Anderson, coincidentally also at a dance, and they married April 21, 2001. They enjoyed 23 wonderful years together, until his death. Through marriage he was blessed with more family, Robert Keskemety and Deborah (Greg) Ditlevson; grandchildren, James, Matthew and Kara (Andrew); and two great-grandchildren.

After Geno graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1956, he attended Youngstown State University, had a stint in the Navy Reserve, and held various jobs before he found his passion in pharmaceutical sales. He kickstarted his career at Lyons Medical and later joined Pennwalt Pharmaceuticals. The man had a gift. It’s no surprise that he held the title of Top National Salesperson of the Year and was continuously in the Top 10 of sales for his territory of the greater Youngstown area.

Geno started playing the upright bass at the age of 11. He soon joined his brother Joe with the Polka Serenaders Band, then the Joe Fedorchak Band. Brother Bob often joined Geno and Joe on the bandstand with his saxophone. At 13, Geno moved up to the Johnny Butchko Polka Band. He played on the radio and on Cleveland’s Polka Varieties TV show. At 19, Geno turned rock star and joined the Mike Roncone Band, performing rock and a variety of genres four nights per week (seven nights per week in its heyday) at numerous dances, weddings, proms and dance clubs. The band was signed by Capitol Records and performed on other recording labels including Checker Records and Tammy Records.

The Mike Roncone Band was a mainstay in the Youngstown area, touching the lives of so many by sharing their distinctive sound at Idora Park, Elms Ballroom, Kove, Living Room, Cherry’s, VIP, Kuzman’s and numerous other establishments featuring live dance music. They even appeared in an episode of Route 66 (the popular crime drama TV series) in 1961. That gig lasted for an amazing 30 years. Geno then returned to his polka roots, playing Cleveland-style polkas with the Joe Fedorchak Orchestra. The popular band took him to Las Vegas, Hawaii, Alaska, Acapulco, Aruba, the Mexican Riviera, the Caribbean, the Poconos and the Catskills as well as Germany, Italy, Austria, and Slovenia.

Geno also produced and hosted the WKBN Polka Party Show which first aired April 29, 1984. By the end of that year, the show doubled the radio station’s listenership in the Sunday morning 10 to 11 a.m. time slot and was rated the 6th most popular Sunday morning show of the 13 radio stations in the Youngstown metro area. By December of 1985, with brother Joe as co-host, Geno’s radio show was the number 1 Sunday morning radio show out of all 13 radio stations competing in the Youngstown / Warren metro area, quadrupling the station’s listening audience.

On a clear day, WKBN’s Polka Party could be heard north, south, east and west as far as the Chatham area of Canada, Jamestown, New York, Parkersburg, W.Va., and Toledo. On the radio show, he interviewed Phyllis Diller, Mike Douglas, comedians Rip Taylor and Charlie Prose, Bowser (from the musical group Sha Na Na), Chris Schenkel (ABC Sports), Congressman Traficant, Senators Voinovich and Metzenbaum, Cleveland Browns past-president Carmen Policy, and musicians Walter Ostanek and Frank Yankovic. After a change in format at WKBN, the polka show lived on at WQRX The Patriot.

Geno was inducted into the Ohio Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1993 along with Roy Clark (Hee-Haw TV show), Chris Schenkel (ABC Sports) and Wilma Smith (Cleveland TV8 news anchor). In his spare time, with the support of Jo Ann, Geno produced an astounding 50 luncheon shows at Cleveland’s Carrie Cerino’s Party Center and at the Youngstown Symphony Center.

Geno is survived by wife, Jo Ann; his brother, Bob; and was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Susan Fedorchak; former wife, Martha; and brother, Joseph P.

He’ll be missed every day, and the world has a little less music in it without him. As he would say, “See you down polka road!”

The funeral service will be 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at Kolodiy-Lazuta Funeral Home, 5677 State Road, Parma, OH 44134.

Interment will be in Holy Cross Cemetery.

www.kolodiy-lazuta.com/obituaries/eugene-fedorchak

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