Raymond Willard Geiger

Raymond Willard Frederic Geiger was born November 6, 1936 to parents Ruth (Berntson) and Charles Geiger in Newell, South Dakota.   The family moved several times, and he attended Maple Hill country school in northern Minnesota and grade school in Ogden, UT, and was a 1954 graduate of Washington High School in Sioux Falls, SD.  Ray took pre-engineering courses at Bethel College in St. Paul from 1954-1956, and then studied architecture at Iowa State University (1956-1957) and University of Minnesota (1957-1961).

Ray was drafted into the U.S. Army in May 1962 and was stationed at the Aberdeen Proving Ground on the north end of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland where he worked as a civil engineering assistant until 1964.

Ray earned his Master’s degree in Architecture from MIT, Cambridge, MA and became an award-winning architect who worked for Leonard Parker, Associates (later, Parker Kline Associates), Smiley Glotter Associates, and Station 19 Architects.  Briefly, he owned his own business, Ray W. Geiger Architects. 

Three of the building designs he worked on—the Gelco office building in Eden Prairie, MN; the Law School at the University of MN and the Field House at University of MN-Duluth—received State American Institute of Architects design awards.  Many of his projects in the second half of his career were church structures, including additions to Faith Covenant Church, the family’s church home for many years in Burnsville, Minnesota.  In all, he was honored to serve more than 130 congregations.

Ray also taught architectural design courses at Iowa State University (1965-1968) and University of Minnesota (1971-1986), and developed a "Paper Process" project to help students understand and utilize principles of design.  Through his teaching, he influenced the lives of hundreds of young architects.

In the summer of 1960, Ray met and fell in love with Sharon Bennett, a nursing student at Mounds Midway Hospital who attended the same church and InterVarsity program.  They were married December 29, 1962 and enjoyed a marriage of 61 years.  They raised their three children in Eagan and Burnsville, MN before moving to Waxhaw, NC in 2010. 

Ray loved reading and talking about books with friends, gardening, golfing, meeting friends for breakfast, following Minnesota Gophers sports, and watching football and baseball on television. He loved fishing, and had a special affection for Lake Kabetogama in northern Minnesota.  In later years, Ray enjoyed painting artwork for several relatives and friends.  He also loved being part of an Adult Life Group at Calvary Church in Charlotte, attending dinner groups and Bible studies, and supporting others in prayer.  

He chose as his Life Verse Romans 11:36:  “For from Him, and through Him and to Him are all things; to Him be glory forever!”  All who knew him can attest that he strove to glorify God in every part of his life.

Ray loved his wife, children, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren deeply, and celebrated each one’s particular gifts and accomplishments.  He cherished precious times when the whole family could be together.  He is survived by Sharon, his wife of 61 years; his sister, Marilyn Sandstrom; brother-in-law Ron (Mary) Bennett; Sister-in-law Rebecca (James) Sorensen; his children Scott (Kimberly) Geiger of Alpharetta, GA; Patrick (Debra) Geiger of Andover, MN; and Heidi Geiger of Mount Holly, NC; grandchildren Kelsey (Kevin) Marinero; Caitlin Geiger; Emily (Jonah Berthelsen) Geiger; Joshua Geiger, and Noel Geiger; great-grandson Elijah Marinero; and many beloved nieces and nephews, colleagues, and treasured friends.

Ray died at the age of 87 on February 29, 2024, holding Sharon’s hand and surrounded by his family at Levine and Dickson Hospice House at Southminster, Charlotte, NC.  The family holds deep gratitude for the compassionate care the staff there provided in his last days.

Memorials preferred to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at https://intervarsity.org/

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at Calvary Church, Charlotte, NC with visitation beginning at 10:00am. 

Arrangements are entrusted to Life and Legacy Funerals and Cremations, 6525 Old Monroe Rd, Indian Trail, NC 28079.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Raymond Willard Geiger, please visit our floral store.