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Herbert Geller Obituary
HERBERT M. GELLER
HERBERT M. GELLER, 78, of Chevy Chase, MD passed away on April 16, 2023, from complications of metastatic prostate cancer. He is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years, Nancy, his "daughter" Cindy; his brother Ken; his sister-in-law Judy; his nephew Eric; and his niece Lisa. Born in New York, Herb received his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University and was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Physiology at the University of Rochester. After many years as a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, Herb moved to the National Institutes of Health in 2001, where he authored or co-authored more than 150 papers and sat on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience and the Journal of Neuroscience Methods. In 2018, Herb was awarded the Bernice Grafstein Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Mentoring from the Society for Neuroscience. Along with his family and his cats, Herb loved running, sailing, vegetable gardening and helping others.
Services will be held on Tuesday, April 18 at 12:30 p.m. at Congregation Ohr Kodesh, 8300 Meadowbrook Lane in Chevy Chase, MD. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Herb's memory to Ohr Kodesh, the NIH Sailing club, AnCan or the charity of your choice.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Herbert Geller
Rick Davis
April 11, 2025
Miss ya every morning when I pick up my Ember coffee cup, Herbie
O&U xox
Donald J Woodward
May 2, 2023
Herb joined me in my lab at U Rochester in 1970 and never left my life. As he was a bioengineer I made a single suggestion that he create a circuit design to apply drugs through micropipets to single neurons. His design became the world standard enabling studies of modulatory drug interactions on activity of neurons. He did much more. It enabled many neuroscience careers, and introduced Herb to Neuropharmacology and the broad community of his wonderful neuroscience colleagues. Herb was really there to help his love, Nancy who finished her PhD. `Herb and Nancy´ were inseparable and one. I learned from them that `love was good for business´ as a neuroscience mentor. Helped by my bit of `social engineering´, and inspired by Herb and Nancy, there were eight successful marriages in my lab group. Herb was a mensch in every way.
Beatrice Haimovich
April 24, 2023
We will always remember Herb as a consummate scientist, a generous and warm person, a dedicated mentor and colleague who left his mark on the life of many. May his memory be a blessing
Erick Morris
April 19, 2023
Our sincerest condolences.
Mukesh Desai
April 18, 2023
Sending our deepest sympathies to Nancy. We cannot express the admiration and affection we have for Herb and Nancy. They were like second parents to our son Atman, and to us our treasured friends.
Herb was unique, a true intellectual with uncommon kindness and warmth. His many, many friends will miss him dearly.
Anu & Mukesh Desai, Cary, NC
Matthew Parker
April 18, 2023
I met Herb in October 2021 at the Reel Recovery Retreat for men living with cancer. We had good conversations then and just last year he was putting his science into work to out smart his cancer. I attended the service today and listen to the beautiful stories.
HammerOn
Love from your fishing buddies
J. Ward
April 18, 2023
Herb was a prince of a man, with a big, big heart. He will be greatly missed.
Ancan bloodcancer support group
April 18, 2023
My condolences to the family.
John Ivory
April 17, 2023
After attending AnCan meetings over Zoom with Herb for a couple of years, I got to spend a couple of days with him in person in New Orleans last year, when he presented an AnCan research poster to the American Urological Association. We were both excited to share a meal and a Sazerac cocktail together. Had I not known of Herb's intellect, stature, and accomplishments, I would have thought that he was simply a fun, caring, helpful, and humble man. Perhaps that's the biggest tribute to Herb of all.
Chick Lindsay
April 17, 2023
I met Herb through ANCAN and appreciated his kindness and commitment to me and his friends in cancer support.
Chick Lindsay
Colfax, WI
Julian Morales
April 17, 2023
Thank you Herb for all your wisdom and your compassion. I will dearly miss you.
My condolences to his family!
Ann Stowe
April 17, 2023
Words can not say how influential Dr. Geller was in my life, both professionally and personally. I will always be thankful for his uncompromising vision of my success. I will keep you all in my prayers.
Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech HaOlam, Dayan HaEmet.
Rick Davis
April 17, 2023
Rick Davis
April 17, 2023
Rick Davis
April 17, 2023
On behalf of all at AnCan Foundation, we shall dearly miss our beloved Boardie, Advisory Board member, 'Brains Trust' member, Moderator, Participant and above all else navigator who supported so many others.
Your memory will inspire us to grow AnCan and to provide increasing support. It will forever be a blessing to and for AnCan.
And for sure, I'll miss my buddy.
Onward & upwards, Herbie!!
Gary Peters
April 17, 2023
My sincere condolences to his family. May the love of friends and family carry you through your grief.
Chaplain Michael J Zoosman
April 17, 2023
May the beloved memory of Dr. Herbert M. Geller be an everlasting blessing for all of us who were privileged to have known him, and may his neshama be a loving guide for us all. I shall never forget him... Alav HaShalom/Peace upon him, Cantor Michael Zoosman, NIH
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