Gino Biffany, 77, of Ottawa, died on Saturday, December 5, 2015 at his home surrounded by his family.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. on Thursday, December 10, 2015 at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa, with Rev. Kevin Donoho, Pastor of Crossbridge Community Church of the Nazarene, officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Memorial Park, where full military rites will be accorded. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home. Liturgical prayers will be at 3:45 pm.
Gino was born on October 27, 1938 in Ottawa to Charles and Mary (Vallero) Biffany. Gino served in the US Army from 1958 to 1963. He married Kay Chevalier on October 30, 1965 in Ottawa. Gino worked for AT&T for over 40 years. Gino attended the Crossbridge Community Church. He was a founding member of the Illinois Valley Carvers Association and an avid lifelong Peltier Marble collector. His love of nature led him to be a dedicated fisherman and gardener, a member of the American Sportsman Show Hall of Fame, and an expert woodworker.
He is survived by his wife Kay, 3 children, Charles (Nancy) Biffany, Amy (Michael) Soenksen, and Randall Biffany, all of Ottawa, 5 grandchildren, Lindsey (Tom) Anderson, Michael (Elizabeth) Soenksen, Danielle Soenksen, Jessica (Brenden McCormick) Biffany, and Brittany (Joshua Robbins) Biffany, 3 great grandchildren, Benjamin and Madelyn Anderson and Lily Robbins, 3 sisters, Mary Wright and Lucille (Bob) Cunningham, both of Ottawa, and Rose (Tom) Varney, of Utica, and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a son Thomas Biffany, 3 brothers John, Julian and Felix, and 5 sisters, Lucille Biffany, Catherine Johnson, Josephine Botkins, Ann Cilla, and Dina Whitney.
Pallbearers will be Jamie Kummer, Marty Ruhland, Bob Hutchinson, Al Faull, Judge Michael Jansz, and Doug Pastirik.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Bob Cunningham, Tom Varney, and Karl Lengfelder.
Memorials may be directed to the family.
Gino is laid to rest in the Garden of Psalms.
