Dr. Charles Leonard Geiger

Dr. Charles Leonard Geiger passed away peacefully at home and in the presence of his family Wednesday, July 14, 2010. Dr. Geiger was born in 1932, in Boaz, Ala., to William Marlin Geiger and Leah Tolbert Geiger. He spent his childhood in Gadsden, Ala., Portland, Ore., Atlanta, Ga., and Panama City, Fla., where he graduated from Bay High School in 1950.

He attended Davidson College, graduating in the class of 1954, with a dual major in Physics and Premedical studies. He was a member of the Physics Honor Society and was a tenor soloist for three years in the Davidson Male Chorus.

Dr. Geiger attended Emory School of Medicine in the class of 1958.

He completed his internship in Pathology and his two year Residency at Emory Hospital, and spent his third year of Post Doctoral Pathology at Emory as a Fellow of the National Cancer Institute. For the next two years, he was appointed to the Emory Medical School faculty as Assistant Professor of Pathology and served as Assistant Director of the Laboratory at the Atlanta Veterans Administration Hospital.

In 1963, he joined the U.S. Air Force Medical Service, serving as captain at Eglin Air Force Base. During this time, he became a member of the American Society of Clinical Pathology as a Fellow of the College of American Pathology.

On leaving the Air Force, he moved with his family to Gainesville to work with Dr. Hamil Murray.

After studying at Oak Ridge, he obtained a licence from the Atomic Energy Commission and opened the first radioisotope laboratory in North Georgia.

During this time, he remained on the Emory Medical School Faculty as Professor of Clinical Pathology.

He later moved his practice to Lanier Park Hospital in Gainesville, where he continued to work for the next 14 years until his retirement from Medicine in 1991.

Upon his retirement, he began a long term study of the natural world and volunteered several thousand hours as a naturalist at Elachee Nature Center. While he was still physically able, he devoted his time and study to Paleontology.

He often referred to these years as the most enjoyable in his life.

He considered the most fortunate event in his life meeting Rebecca (Becky) Deal on a blind date in 1953.

They married in 1956, and their marriage continued to grow in joy and meaning until his death.

He was preceded in death by his eldest son, William Marlin Geiger.

He is survived by his wife, Rebecca; his daughter-in-law, Catherine Brooks Geiger, and grandchildren, Caitlin and Christopher of Gainesville; his son, Leonard Geiger Jr., his wife, Christina and their daughter, Ava of Jacksonville, Fla.; his daughter, Beth Geiger Bolstad, her husband, Arlen and their children, Joanna, Emma and Thomas of Richmond, Va.; and his son, Ralph Geiger of Washington, DC.

Dr. Geiger was a man who lived in awe of the mysteries of the natural world and of the human heart.

He was profoundly kind.

A memorial service will be held at Grace Episcopal Church in Gainesville at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 17, 2010.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be given to Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, GA 30504.

Wages & Sons Funeral Home, Gwinnett Chapel, Lawrenceville