By Melanie DeStefano

While living in Warren County for 34 years, Eugene J. DeGeorge would set aside time to jot down poems and flesh out stories on his typewriter.

He had enjoyed writing all his life and thought that, some day, he’d like to publish a book. With a busy life and daily commute to Newark every day, though, DeGeorge kept putting off his dream. His books would be a project for another day.

When, in 1999, DeGeorge was diagnosed with prostate cancer and given a grim prognosis, he feared he might not have as many “other days” as he had hoped.

“I was told not to plan past five years,” said DeGeorge.

He retired and dedicated his time to volunteerism. He was a part of the Washington Meals on Wheels program, volunteered at Hackettstown Medical Center, and was a part of the Hackettstown Knights of Columbus. Some might also recognize his name from his short stint as a Warren Reporter freelance writer.

There was only one “problem” with his plan to live out his last days volunteering: he’s still alive 21 years later.

His cancer went in and out of remission for many years, said his daughter, Sarah DeGeorge, and a diagnosis of stage four came in 2017.

“This was the catalyst to get his books published ,” she said. “He wanted to fulfill this part of both his bucket list item and to create a piece of his legacy.”

Now, DeGeorge has not one but two published books.

His newest release is “Until Tomorrow,” a poetry collection exploring life and loss, which was released late last year. The poems explore the sad, funny, and sometimes cruel experiences that, whether we like it or not, sometimes confront us on our journeys through life.

The collection is now available in paperback on Amazon.

Published in 2016, “Reaching the Plateau” is a semi-autobiographical novella about the trials of entrepreneurship. It explores the complexity behind the American Dream. The story is set against the backdrop of the fictional town of Clearview as it shifts from farming community to industrial town.

“The concept of working in America but also wanting to be independent can sometimes be at odds with each other,” said DeGeorge. “[This is something] I had felt in my own work journey.”

“Reaching the Plateau” is available in paperback and Kindle editions.

“In spite of what life may be throwing at you, hold onto your dreams,” said DeGeorge. “If you keep the dream, you keep hope alive. I was in college and wanted to be an author, but it took until much later with many different circumstances along the way for this to happen.”

He is currently working on his third book.

For those interested in learning more about Eugene DeGeorge and his writing, please visit his Facebook page at facebook.com/eugenejdegeorge.