Richard "Dick" Geisman

RICHARD "Dick" GEISMAN Richard "Dick" Geisman lost his long and courageous battle against pulmonary fibrosis on September 30, 2008. Dick was born February 16, 1933 in Van Wert, Ohio, the eldest son of the late Carl and Ivy Geisman. As a young man, Dick attended Van Wert City Schools and excelled in sports. While in High School, he earned his football letter. He also boxed his way to a Golden Glove Championship in Fort Wayne, Indiana and went on to the Chicago Tribune Golden Gloves quarter finals in Chicago. In 1952, he served his country by enlisting in the Navy and was stationed at the Submarine Base in New London, Connecticut and on the USS Bushnell in Key West, Florida. Dick's love of sports continued and while in the Navy, he won the Third Naval District Heavyweight title, which earned him his Navy letter. While stationed in Connecticut, Dick met and married the love of his life, Gemma Marquis on June 27, 1953 at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Hartford, CT. They shared 55 wonderful years together and were blessed with four beautiful children. Three of their children, Cathy Bowen, Cindy Geisman, her husband Jay Williams, Rick Geisman and his wife, Rose, survive. Another son, Michael, who suffered from a rare bone disease, osteogenesis imperfecta, died in 1980 at age 24. Also surviving are his beloved grandchildren, Jennifer Bowen, Emily Bracey, her husband, Dana, Ryan Bowen, Paula Huntley, Sean, Corey and Trey Geisman and Gemma Williams as well as his cherished great- grandsons, Jacob and Caleb Shepard and Gavin and Corbin Huntley. His only brother, Jim Geisman and his wife Mary, many nephews, nieces and cousins also survive him. For most of his life, Dick lived in his hometown of Van Wert, Ohio where he worked at Aeroquip Corporation and Republic Buildings. He also owned and operated a cleaning business for many years. In 1970, he played an important supporting role when his wife, Gemma, co-founded the Osteongeneis Imperfecta Foundation, a national organization that sponsors research and provides information to families affected by the "brittle bone" disease. Dick served his hometown community as a Little League baseball coach, a PAL football coach and as an official high school baseball umpire. With Gemma and the children, he shared his love of sports, including camping and fishing and he always looked forward to hunting with his brother Jim and his other hunting buddies. He attended St. Mary's Catholic Church in Van Wert where he was a charter member of the Knights of Columbus Council #6034. He served the council in many capacities, including the leadership role of Grand Knight. In 1972, he was named Knight of the Year for his many contributions to the organization. In 1982, he and Gemma moved to New Hampshire where he was employed at E&R Cleaners in Manchester for 17 years. While in NH, Dick spent some of the happiest years of his life fishing on Lake Massebesic and traveling throughout New England. After his retirement to Florida in 1999, he became an avid golfer who loved the game so much that he continued golfing for four years after his diagnosis of pulomary fibrosis was made. He inspired many who saw him on the area golf courses lugging 3 or 4 large tanks of oxygen in his golf cart. In Sebastian, Dick was a member of American Legion Post #189, a communicant at St. Sebastian Catholic Church and a member of the Knights of Columbus Council #8009. He will be greatly missed by Gemma, his wife, best friend and partner of 55 years, his beloved daughters and son, Cathy, Cindy and Rick, his precious grandchildren and great-grandchildren and the many others whom he called friends. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m., October 7, 2008 at St. Sebastian Catholic Church. Full Military Honors will follow conducted by Sebastian Area Veterans' "Honor Guard." In lieu of flowers, the family wsihes to celebrate Dick's life with memorial donations to the Michael Geisman Research Fellowship Fund,c/o the OI Foundation, Inc, 864 W. Diamond, Suite 210, Gainthersburg, MD 20878 or at www.oif.org or to VNA Hospice Foundation, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960 Arrangements by Strunk Funeral Home and Crematory Sebastian, Florida