After a renewed, but short battle with cancer, George Robert Geier passed away peacefully at his home in Nampa, Idaho, surrounded by family, on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. He was 92. George led a rich and colorful life filled with family, friends, laughter, and childlike optimism. He was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota, on April 14, 1926, to Margret Adler Geier and Joseph (Joe) Albert Geier. George remembered as a young boy waving and running alongside President Franklin Roosevelt's motorcade as FDR traveled through town on one of his cross country town hall stops. In 1933, young George saw a new film called King Kong, billed as the greatest horror film of all time. He loved that adventure movie and would traipse the family to each new version as it was released over the years. None ever lived up to the original. With not much time to be a boy, George began working at age eight on his Uncle Tony's farm where only German was spoken. In his early teens, George moved with his parents to Vancouver, WA, to find work. He became a welder in the shipyards at 16 and later learned that he had welded on the very ship that his brother served on during WWII. Not quite 18 and against his mother's wishes, George enlisted in January 1944 in the Army Air Corp, the precursor to today's Air Force. After completing boot camp and surviving scarlet fever, he was sent to Santa Anna, CA, where he served as an air traffic controller. He taxied bombers returning stateside; one of which was the Enola Gay, the B-29 that dropped the bomb over Hiroshima. He often volunteered to be a passenger for the returning pilots trying to maintain their flight time certifications. He flew all over the Southwest, Mexico, and South America and later obtained his own pilot's license. Our Dad was proud to have served his country and spoke often of that adventurous time in his life. After the WWII ended, George joined his parents and brother who had moved to Nampa, Idaho. He met and fell in love with Nola Louise Aulbach who also happened to be his sister-in law. They married on Saturday, November 20, 1948. He was 22, and she was 17. They raised seven children together and would have been married 70 years this November. In 1949, George joined the Elk's Lodge and was hired to manage its club in Nampa. Over the years, he rose through the seven chairs of the organization's management to become Exalted Ruler. He maintained a lifetime membership in the lodge and sponsored each of his sons and sons-in-law as they came of age or joined the family. George was a proficient bird hunter and fisherman. He taught his two boys, Bob and Jim, to be good at both. His oldest son, Bob, became competitive at trap shooting and bass fishing. Dad would take not only his own kids fishing and hunting, but anyone else who wanted to go, and their kids. He made sinkers and flies from scrap lead and supplied stores throughout the Treasure Valley, including as far as Ontario, OR. George joined the U.S. Post Office in 1973. That same year, he and Nola purchased an acre in Donnelly. Four of their adult children purchased the adjoining lots. Summers were spent fishing on Cascade Lake, exploring back roads, playing cribbage, enjoying combined barbeque dinners, and sitting around the campfire with an occasional beer or two. He loved this family time. When he retired, he started a craft business called "G and N Crafts" for George and Nola. He and his oldest daughter Connie traveled the local craft fairs selling their crafts. He was known for his butterflies, but he also made whirly gigs, doll cradles, wood animals, and bird houses, of which he would often donate to his twin daughters, Pat and Pam, to be used as paint projects for the children they taught in middle school. He loved receiving the thank you cards from the kids. He made these crafts from discarded pallets. After he began to lose his sight, his daughter Linda, and often her daughter Jenni, would faithfully drive him on his route to collect pallets. George continued to sell his bird houses until the weeks leading up to his death. George and Nola spent many winters in Mesa, AR. They traveled to see their youngest daughter Judy in D.C. and in Olympia, WA, and their youngest son Jim in Hawaii where he was stationed with the army. They loved going on cruises with their good friends Weldon and Doris Young. George was most proud of the family that he built with Nola, the love of his life. He bragged often to anyone within ear's reach of each one of his children and their accomplishments. He is sorely missed as each of us struggle to fill the space left by his character and personality. Our Dad loved life. George is survived by Nola, his wife of 69 years; his children: Connie Aman (Leon), George Robert "Bob" Geier, Jr. (Sandy), Patricia Geier, Pamela Dufoe (Jim), Judy Geier, and Jim Geier (Nancy Fowler); his grandchildren: Dale Aman, Jeremy Aman, Caleb Aman, Jeff Johnson (Brenda), Jennifer Johnson, Sita Marion (Doug), Jessie DeWitt (Mike); his great-grandchildren: Danyelle Aman, Alyssa Aman, Michael Johnson, Kenneth Johnson, Mieka Ta-Doria Johnson, Stetson Gilbert, Madison Gilbert; and his great-great-granddaughter Zoie Aman. George joins in heaven his dear daughter Linda Diane Johnson; his granddaughter Cheryl Dufoe; his parents Margaret and Joe Geier; and siblings: Martin Joseph "Swede" Geier, Pearl Madline Tomek, Marie Magdaline "Sis" Stevens, and Gloria Eva "Honey" Huettl. Friends and family are invited to attend Catholic funeral services to be held at 10 a.m. Monday, August 6 at St. Paul's Catholic Church, 510 W. Roosevelt in Nampa. A rosary and viewing will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, August 5 at Zeyer Funeral Chapel, 83 N Midland Blvd in Nampa. 208-467-7300 Condolences may be expressed at zeyerfuneralchapel.com
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