Jerry Douglas Geist

Jerry Douglas Geist, 84, of Albuquerque, passed away Monday, March 18, 2019 of liver cancer, surrounded in love by close family and friends.

Jerry Geist was born in Raton, New Mexico to Jacob and Jessie Geist. Jerry graduated from Las Vegas NM High School, and subsequently attended college on a Navy ROTC scholarship at the University of Missouri (Columbia) and the University of Colorado (CU Boulder). He graduated from CU with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Jerry met his wife-to-be, Sharon Kaemper, in Las Vegas, NM in 1948, when Jerry was a young teen. They became junior high school sweethearts, voted “cutest couple” of their high school class, and eventually married after finishing college. All tolled, Jerry and Sharon have been devoted to one another for more than 70 years. Jerry served in the US Navy for four years, from 1956 after graduating from the University of Colorado, until 1960.  He was assigned to work on the destroyer the Douglas H. Fox, beginning his tour of duty as the second youngest officer aboard ship. Before leaving the Navy, Jerry supervised a division of more than 100 sailors as the Damage Control Officer, an experience he often cited as providing valuable leadership training.

Jerry was, for fourteen years, the CEO of Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM), until 1990. After retiring from PNM, Geist established an energy consulting business, and served on numerous boards and committees. Notably, Jerry was a long-time member of the board of directors for CH2M Hill Industrial Design and Construction, recently acquired by Jacobs engineering, and for many years served on the board of directors of the Davis Funds, a Wall Street investment company. Within New Mexico, Jerry served on a diverse set of local boards and committees supporting organizations such as the New Mexico United Way, the University of New Mexico, and the Taos Art Museum at Fechin House in Taos, NM. Throughout his lifetime, he sought out opportunities to serve our community, as exemplified by his leadership in the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, planning the Albuquerque Tricentennial, and serving on New Mexico’s committee for the National Holocaust Museum. Jerry was a beloved father and grandfather.

He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Sharon L. Geist; his sister, Gretchen Crowe (Pat) of Albuquerque; his brother, Mike Geist (Charlotte) of Missoula, MT; his two sons, Jerry D. Geist Jr. (Donna) of Albuquerque, and Bruce Geist (Lynn) of Sterling Heights, Michigan; and his three grandchildren, Dominic Orozco (Brandie) of Phoenix, AZ, Angelo Orozco of Albuquerque and Nichole Eloe Geist of Oberlin, OH.  His son, Robert Geist, predeceased him in February of this year.

Friends and family remember Jerry as a high energy, humorous, charismatic man who easily engaged and endeared himself to all those he met. He was generally a central feature, if not the life of a party. He loved people, and he loved life. Jerry was excited always by the prospect of making a positive difference in his community, for his friends, and for his family. He will be sorely missed.

Memorial services for Jerry Geist will be held Saturday, April 6, 2019, 1:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 315 Coal Avenue SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102.  A reception will follow the service. Jerry Geist’s remains will be interred at the Santa Fe National Cemetery, in Santa Fe, NM.

The family wishes to specially thank Jerry’s sister, Gretchen Crowe, who tirelessly worked to ensure Jerry’s last days were pain-free and as happy as possible, as well as the staff from the Retreat at Home, who were devoted, loving, and conscientious care givers throughout Jerry’s illness.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the American Cancer Society, https://www.cancer.org/about-us/local/new-mexico.html or to the Alzheimer’s Association, https://www.alz.org/newmexico.