Herbert Geist

Herbert B. Geist, age 84, passed away suddenly on Friday, January 6, at the Medical Center of the Rockies, Loveland, CO, following heart surgery. Herb is survived by his wife, Marilyn, and three children, Jeffrey (Charlotte) Geist of Avondale, PA, Karen (Robert) Holm of Media, PA, Kathryn (Barnaby) Wickham of Baltimore, MD and 8 grandchildren. Herb was born May 10, 1927, in Boston, MA. He graduated from Lawrence Academy, Groton, MA, in 1945, at the age of 17. Then he enlisted in the Merchant Marines, serving in the Pacific Theater. In 1951, Herb graduated from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, with a degree in economics. In 1961 he founded Forms & Systems Co., PA, retiring from there in 1994. After retiring, Herb and Marilyn lived in Hockessin, DE and Green Valley, AZ before moving to Fort Collins, CO. Always wanting to learn, even after retiring, Herb attended the University of DE where he studied Spanish; Pima Community College (Tucson, AZ) and Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO). His interests were wide-ranging, and included economics and oceanography. His desire to help others led Herb to become involved in tutoring adults and children in English wherever he lived. He was certified as an instructor by OASIS in DE, and English Language Acquisition for Adults in Tucson. His fondest memories include the elementary students he mentored in AZ. After moving to Green Valley, AZ in 1998, Herb joined Marilyn in taking elementary education classes. He then became an elementary substitute teacher in the local schools. Children were always surprised to find that the substitute was a gray-haired grandfather. Needless to say, he never had a discipline problem. Herb was always active in his community. Prior to moving to Fort Collins, he was a docent at Madera Canyon, AZ. He began volunteering at the Colorado Welcome Center on I-25 as soon as he arrived in Fort Collins. He was also involved in the Naturalist Volunteer Program. Loving the arts, Herb and Marilyn volunteered at Bas Bleu and the Lincoln Center. Herb's other delights included hiking, traveling, being with friends, the Newcomer's Club of Fort Collins and Foothills Unitarian Church. He was preceded in death by his parents, Fay and Herman Geist, and by daughter Jennifer (George) Handlin of Fallston, MD. Grandchildren include Hillary and Bonnie Holm and Steve and William Geist (Media, PA); Kay-Lee and Patrick Handlin (Fallston, MD); and Lucy and Elliot Wickham (Baltimore, MD). A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 2:00pm at the Foothills Unitarian Church, Fort Collins, CO. Memorial contributions may be made to the Larimer County Food Bank, 1301 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80524.