Obituary of Dr. Eugene Thomas Altiere

Dr. Eugene Thomas Altiere passed away peacefully on March 13, 2025, at the age of 79, surrounded by family after a lengthy battle with liver cancer.

Gene was born in November 1945 in Youngstown, Ohio. He graduated from Ursuline High School, attended The Ohio State University School of Dentistry in Columbus, Ohio and later earned his master’s degree in periodontology from The Mayo Clinic. Gene also served in both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

In 1978, he moved to Duluth, MN, where he began his career in periodontology. For 39 years, he practiced in the Medical Arts Building, where patients could often hear him whistling while he worked in the hallways of his practice. A strong advocate for organized dentistry, he served as president of the Northeast Dental District, the Duluth Dental Forum, the Midwest Society of Periodontology, and the Minnesota Association of Periodontology. He was also a fellow of the American College of Dentistry. After nearly four decades of caring for patients, Gene retired in June 2017.

Beyond dentistry, Gene had a deep love for the outdoors. An avid hunter and fisherman, he previously served as an officer with the Duluth Archery Club and was also an official measurer for Pope and Young and Boone and Crockett. Music was another lifelong passion—he served on the board of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra for ten years and sang in the Duluth Superior Symphony Chorus for over 30 years.

Gene found great joy in cooking and entertaining. He was known for hosting incredible Italian dinners, filled with delicious food, cherished stories, and lasting memories. He loved exploring cuisines from around the world, but nothing compared to his mother’s spaghetti sauce with meatballs.

Gene was an active member of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church where he sang in the choir, ushered and enjoyed preparing meals for soup suppers and for the Campus Ministry college students.

Together with his wife of 28 years, Wanda, Gene enjoyed traveling which included a special trip to Colobraro, Italy, to connect with his extended family and heritage. He took great pride in supporting his sons, Tony and Nick, in Scouting and enthusiastically attended his stepsons Tommy and Eric’s choral and theatrical performances. Later in life, he embraced his role as "Papa Doc" to his beloved grandchildren, Cohen and Rayna.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents, James Nicholas and Constance Ann (Balestra) Altiere, as well as his brothers-in-law, Rudy Wiesner and Richard Georgeoff.

He is survived by his loving wife and devoted caregiver, Wanda (Schmidt) Altiere; sons Anthony (Kyah) Altiere and Nicholas Altiere of Duluth, MN; stepson Thomas Benson of Minneapolis, MN; stepson Eric (Anna) Benson and grandchildren Cohen and Rayna of Grand Forks, ND; sisters Rosemarie Wiesner of Youngstown, OH, and Nancy Georgeoff of Poland, OH; brother James (Mary) Altiere of Canfield, OH; as well as many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 29, at 11:00 a.m. at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 802 Maple Grove Road, Duluth, MN 55811. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m.

The service will be livestreamed at:

https://www.youtube.com/@shepherdofthehillslutheran8039

The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Timothy Kleinschmidt of Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital for his exceptional care over the past five years. Special thanks to the ICU staff for their compassion and support in Gene’s final days. To the many friends and relatives who offered prayers and encouragement along the way—thank you from the bottom of our hearts.