In Memoriam: Lou Gentile
Steve Barton
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When you do what we do for a living, you end up meeting a lot of people on the road. In a way, we become sort of like a family. Some you see only on occasion, and some you become truly close with. Lou Gentile was one of those people whom you can easily connect with. At least that’s the way it was for me. It’s with a heavy heart that I say that he’s gone.
Before I go into any detail about Lou, allow me to share this statement from Lou’s family and then from his manager, Chris Roe:
“It is with great sadness we announce that on June 28, 2009, Paranormal Investigator and Syndicated Radio Show Host Lou Gentile lost his battle to cancer. Lou Gentile is survived by his wife and three children.
Services for Lou will be held on July 7th in Philadelphia at the John F. Fluehr & Son’s Funeral Home, located at 3301 Cottman Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19149. Services will begin at 6:30PM.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made out to The Lou Gentile Family. Donations can be sent to:
THE LOU GENTILE FAMILY
178 Louis Ave.
Bayville, NJ 08721
Any further information, please contact Chris Roe at CR Management. 1-310-927-6892 or chrisroemanagement@gmail.com”
“The Paranormal and Horror Community has lost a great colleague. Lou was a gentle giant, and my very good friend, and really almost a big brother. He was dedicated fully to his profession. His findings and research were astonishing.
In recent months Lou remained busy working on his cases, a book and completed an in-depth documentary on Paranormal Activity with a British television network. He was a trooper to the very end.
He was also a dedicated husband and father. The love he had for his family was very evident. As a parent myself, he inspired me to be a better father. My life has been better because of Lou being in it!
My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Antoinette, and his three daughters. Lou will always be loved and forever missed.
Chris Roe – Manager”
This is without question the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write. Every keystroke pulls on my heart in unfathomable ways. We met Lou at the first Rock and Shock show in Worcester, MA. Lou was there as a guest. The connection he and I had was instant.
I’ve always been a paranormal buff and can honestly say Lou was one of the best, if not THE BEST, in his field. There was nobody like him. There was never any of that lame “I feel a presense” nonsense. Lou was a no bullshit guy, and that’s how he would want to be remembered.
Yet, it wasn’t just his celebrity that attracted people to him. It was his heart. Lou was the type of guy to be the first in line to offer you a hug and a smile. He had the kind of love and goodness that just radiated off of him.
Over the years we became very close. Not a weekend would pass without either a long phone call or a session of gaming on Xbox Live. I loved the guy like a brother, and he reciprocated that love ten-fold. Lord knows I can be a handful and even a pain in the ass, but he never judged me or anyone else. He was the type of person who would accept you for who you were and was always there through thick and thin.
Whether you knew him or not, believe me when I tell you the world has suffered a great loss. Now I’ll leave this piece as I’m sure he would have wanted me to – With a shared smile of some really insane and good times.
Lou was very much an explorer. I hope he has finally found the answers to every question he’s ever asked. I love you, brother. Now and always.
Shared Links of Lou’s Work
Ghost Hunting with Lou Gentile Part 1
Ghost Hunting with Lou Gentile Part 2
Lou Gentile: Amityville and Beyond
Discuss and celebrate Lou’s life and work below and in the Dread Central forums.
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