Stephen Geiger

Saturday April 12, 2014 Stephen James Geiger at 47 years of age lost his long fought battle with brain cancer. Surrounded by love from family and friends he ended his life as he lived it, with a strong and courageous spirit. His initial diagnosis gave him six months to live, he laughed in cancer’s face and grabbed two more years of life. His strength was continually fuelled by the infinite love and support from his caring wife Julia and that special power only bequeathed to parents, to grab every precious moment with his beautiful daughter Isabel.

Fiercely independent and adventurous Stephen was an avid world traveller, an accomplished jazz musician, a skilled athlete who above all relished tearing down the slopes on ski trips with best buddies or tackling new terrain on his mountain bike. As cancer slowly forced Stephen to give up his many active pursuits he sought to adapt by driving a three-wheeler bike and using a cane to accompany his daughter to school, where his eyesight was failing and his balance undoing, he did not let his legs give up. His focus became Isabel and remaining part of her daily world.

Stephen had a sharp brain and signature wit and was not above “kindly suggesting” to people to turn off their cars if they had been idling for too long. This interest in the environment and sustainable practises led him to join Edge Consulting in Vancouver where he worked as a management consultant and a highly respected facilitator. A sustainability-super-connector, his commitment, passion, open heart and ability to collaborate and build trust amongst diverse communities brought together NGO’s, companies, government, and First Nations to learn together and to make deep changes. He was also very active in local scale climate action, watershed management, and sustainable fisheries.

Stephen was born to Dr. Douglas Geiger and Dorothy Ross Geiger on February 5, 1967, in Kingston, ON and received his B.Sc. (Honours) in Statistics from Queen's University in 1989. Stephen is survived by his wife of 15 years, Julia Uyeda, their daughter Isabel (8); his mother Dorothy and siblings Hugh (Sheelagh Mercier), Kathy, Janet (Laurie Schnare), Laura and his 13 nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his father and sister, Elizabeth (Paul Sutcliffe).

Please bike, ski, play tennis, jazz music or take a walk through the forest or along the beach for Stephen. He was a loving son, brother, husband, father, and a good friend to many. He will be missed.

The family would like to send many thanks to the doctors, nurses and care aids at the Palliative Care Unit at VGH, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver Coastal Health, Sue and Ginny from the Vancouver Hospice Society and to the wonderful community of parents and teachers at the Queen Elizabeth Annex School.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Musqueam Culture Centre at 6735 Salish Drive, Vancouver on Saturday, April 26, 2014 at 1pm.

A celebration of life will be held in Kingston, ON at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations to be made to the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada at www.braintumour.ca or to the Stephen Geiger In Memory Fund established with the Vancouver Park Board. Donations will be used to dedicate a commemorative picnic table for Stephen near his favorite location at Spanish Banks Beach. Please go to www.donate.vancouver.ca and select the Stephen Geiger in Memory Fund designation.