Richard Lansing Geer

Richard Lansing Geer, rocket scientist and spouse of the Reverend Nan Geer, died April 17, 2019. He was born September 29, 1933 in Portland, Oregon to Willard and Mary Geer. After attending both Willamette University and the University of Southern California and graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Richard was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. He was a member of two Engineering honorary societies, and earned master’s degrees both in Aeronautical Engineering and Systems Engineering.

During his Air Force career, he worked on a classified Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, which greatly improved reconnaissance/surveillance of the Soviet Union and was invaluable during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was pleased when this project was finally declassified, and he could tell his family about that work. The story of this program is now documented in a video, “The Satellite Men”.

Richard was an expert in moon dust research before the first Moon landing. He designed a gondola, now on display in the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force base, to research high altitude/velocity aircraft escape. For this research he was himself often a test subject for seat ejection evaluations. He worked on some of the first Air Force man-in-space programs, including military spacecraft. He also served on an inspector general team and later as part of the USAF Foreign Technology Division. He retired from the Air Force as a Lt. Colonel in 1981 and came to work for Boeing, in its space programs.

He married Alice Elizabeth Jackson in 1955, and they had two daughters, Marilyn and Elizabeth. That marriage eventually ended in divorce. In 1992 he met and married Nan, who was serving three congregations part time. They retired to Blaine. Washington, where she continued to serve Free Church Unitarian, and Richard became a devoted member.

Richard was a brilliant man of absolute integrity, great generosity and a wicked sense of humor, dearly loved by many. He is survived by his wife, Nan Geer, his brother and sister-in-law Charles and Lynne Geer, his daughter Marilyn Geer Vancil, her husband Travis Vancil, his grandchildren Andi and Megan, and Nan’s children Rob B., Tim, Moira, Heather, and Nan’s grandchildren Pierre, Inès, Zach, Eli and Henry.

Messages of condolence can be sent to Nan Geer, 4704 Sagebrush Lane, Blaine WA 98230.