Daniel Edmund Geist

Daniel Edmund Geist, 89, has died peacefully at home in Albuquerque, surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his children, Margot and Ben; daughters-in-law Susan and Jan; grandchildren Aaron and Caroline; cousins Karin and Judith; sister-in-law Mag and her four children Jeff, Jon, Tom and Becky. Dan was preceded in death by his beloved wife of sixty-three years, Caroline Jane Allen.

He was born to Laura and Edmund Geist in northern Indiana where he spent his childhood. Fond memories of growing up in Ridgeville included playing with his cousins at the family general store and exploring the local countryside. Many of his family members played musical instruments and Dan took up the trumpet and cornet in high school, joining the band and orchestra. His love of music, particularly classical and jazz, continued throughout his life.

Dan and Jane met while they attended Indiana University in Bloomington. After their graduation and marriage, the couple left Indiana for Europe where he served proudly as a First Lieutenant in the Army's Signal Corps. He went on to receive his MBA and had a successful career as a business executive who negotiated labor contracts, later developing benefit programs.

Dan embraced life! He built a sailboat in his garage, taught himself to sail, eventually racing in and winning regattas up and down the East Coast. He and Jane loved hiking along the peaks of the Appalachians. He also took up cross-country skiing and enjoyed many trips with his family on the winter trails of upstate New York and the Laurentian Mountains of Québec.

His interest in photography arose while living in Montréal, where he built the first of three darkrooms. He went on to work with large-format cameras-creating silver-gelatin, image transfer and platinum palladium prints. Over the years, he received grants and awards for his photography; his prints can be found in the permanent collections of museums and private collectors.  There will be an exhibit of Dan's photographs at St. John's United Methodist Church through January 9, 2024.

In his late fifties, when he retired and moved to New Mexico, Dan became intrigued with the cowboy way of life. He learned to ride horses and rope cattle. Cody, Montana, Silky and Starshine-Himself were beloved horses. Traveling throughout the West, he documented landscapes and cowboys through photography. In his final years, he took great pleasure in the play of light and cloud filled skies of New Mexico.

Dan will be remembered for his devotion to his family, dry sense of humor, generous nature, pursuit of excellence and hard work. Donations in his memory can be made to TheHorseShelter.org.