RootsTech 2025 digital keynote speaker Marco Lui is a storyteller — a comic, author, director, voice actor and creator — who lives in Verona, Italy, a metropolis of tales. From historical Roman buildings and statues to Romeo and Juliet to its hard-working individuals, the place he calls dwelling has a wealthy historical past.
Snacktime tales
Lui was born poor. As a schoolboy, his household couldn’t afford to ship him with a snack to eat throughout recess. Utilizing his knack for entertaining and telling tales, he created an answer.
Lui determined to placed on a storytelling present throughout recess for college students. The price for a pupil to take heed to the efficiency? — A bit of portion of the coed’s snack. Lui recalled he by no means went and not using a snack after that.
“I feel that every of us is born in the appropriate time and in the appropriate context to have the ability to develop your individual skills or your individual persona or one’s future,” Lui stated.
As life continued, Lui realized gimmicks, sounds and dance abilities from pals. At school, he excelled in writing. At some point, he realized he may mix all these talents — his reward for storytelling, his inventive skills and his writing — right into a profession.
Household is first
Lui’s ardour turned his profession, however there’s something much more necessary to him: household. He and his spouse have two “fantastic” daughters. He stated having daughters has modified his life. He doesn’t settle for profession alternatives that might take him removed from dwelling. He has made it a precedence to be current for his household and doesn’t wish to miss a day of this rising time of their lives.
He additionally cherishes his relationship along with his 92-year-old Aunt Pierina, the “final hyperlink of a era.” Up till just a few years in the past, his Aunt Pierina lived alone at a distance from Verona, however she was getting old and will now not be impartial. Lui and his sister felt they needed to transfer her near them to are likely to her wants and be with household.
Taking care of his aunt is necessary, despite the fact that it isn’t all the time straightforward. When she first got here, she was not nicely, however her well being improved after being round Lui’s and his sister’s kids. He’s grateful she is there to inform his kids tales about family members. He stated understanding household traditions, cultures and DNA displays ones’ personal id.
‘An exquisite guide to learn’
Lui’s father did in depth household historical past analysis on each his dad’s and mother’s sides and wrote many household tales. Lui figured no extra wanted to be performed, however his understanding has modified. Who his ancestors had been and the way they lived are a part of who he’s. He needs to contribute to telling their tales.
Lui’s love for studying biographies prompted a thought.
“It could be cool to have a guide about my household historical past,” he stated. “It could be an exquisite guide to learn, actually fascinating.”
Voices from the previous
“Marco Lui: Household Historical past Uncover Expertise,” he learn, holding up his pill to indicate the FamilySearch web page. Previous to RootsTech 2025, Lui had shared the household historical past he knew with FamilySearch. “I’m actually excited to see what they put in right here.”
“Oh, I do know this one,” he clicked to open a well-recognized and distinctive story about his maternal great-grandfather, Lui è Pietro Perrucci and great-grandmother, Maria Susanna Messer.
On their marriage ceremony day, Lui learn, Maria Susanna was too sick with the flu to return to the very important information workplace the place she and Pietro had been to be married. However that didn’t cease the wedding from taking place. Two officers from the workplace got here to her home for the marriage ceremony.
Lui continued studying about his great-grandparents: Over the subsequent 10 years, that they had 4 kids. When World Struggle I began, Peitro served as a soldier. A reminiscence posted on FamilySearch illustrated Maria Susanna’s hope, saying she “waited day-after-day for him to return from his army service.” Nevertheless, after preventing within the battle at Monto San Marco, he disappeared in motion and was presumed lifeless.
In one other space of the FamilySearch report, Lui found an audio file of his grandfather and mom’s voices. Lui had foot issues as a toddler and questioned whether or not they had been speaking about him. He stated his grandfather was shoemaker and questioned whether or not they had been speaking about adjusting his customized sneakers made by an orthopedist.
“That is cool,” Lui stated, listening. “I bear in mind he was a basic … [but] you would really feel the love he has in the direction of his daughter, my mom, in attempting to assist her. That is very cool.”
Lui stated his household has photographs and a few audio recordings of their dwelling, and he was touched by listening to his grandfather’s voice on this recording — he may really feel how a lot he cared.
A priceless heritage in discovering household historical past
A few of the tales on the report Lui already knew, some he didn’t. Seeing his household tales on FamilySearch, Lui mirrored on the worth of understanding extra about his ancestors’ lives, glad and unhappy.
“Doing these items and making them obtainable to everyone seems to be a heritage that’s priceless,” Lui stated.
Lui’s message completed as he gathered at his sister’s dwelling along with his kids and her household.
“At this time, I found one thing which is really unimaginable,” he advised them. “And I wish to present it to you as a result of I do know you may be amazed.”
Lui shared the discoveries and tales from FamilySearch. He has a hope concerning the tales his daughters will inform their kids.
“I would like them to recollect the moments we’ve got spent collectively as a household, … my dad and mom and my aunt,” he stated. “And once I die, I would like them to say ‘no person made me snort like my dad.’”
