Lawrence Eugene Geer

Lawrence Eugene Geer was born September 29, 1941, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Troy, New York, to Kenneth Eugene Geer and Emma Louise Rose. He died March 14, 2019, after a valiant battle with lung cancer. He quit smoking over 35 years ago; however, the toxicity of tobacco finally took another life. His family relocated to Redondo Beach, California, with his two sisters, Cynthia Dale and Janice Marilyn, where Larry graduated from Mira Costa High School in 1959. He then attended El Camino Junior College and UCLA. Larry married Judy Daily and they had one son, Todd Eugene. After their divorce, Larry married Sue Ann Otos in 1967. They moved to Sunnyvale, California, and had three daughters, Julie Anne, Laura Jean, and Angela Dawn. Larry and Sue settled in South San Jose and divorced in 1974. Larry remained in South San Jose the rest of his life with his wife Phuong Tran.Larry began his professional career at Lockheed in April 1967 as a mechanical drafter and engineer, and realizing the national defense industry was waning, he earned his teaching credential for drafting and CAD. Larry had a long and enjoyable career teaching many upcoming engineers at Mission, De Anza, and Foothill colleges, San Jose State University, Homestead High School, and his most fulfilling job at Saratoga High School for 19 years, from 1991-2010. Larry loved being a teacher and relayed stories of his students to his family. He was so proud of all their successes and growth.Larry loved. He loved his wife, Phuong, who took excellent care of him as he succumbed to lung cancer. He loved his parents, whose deaths impacted him greatly. He loved his sisters and would take long trips to spend time with them. He loved his children and often said he was honored to be a father and hoped all of them would remember him proudly. He loved his grandchildren and spent as much time with them as geography allowed. He loved his great-grandchildren, getting to meet his newest great-granddaughter, Clarke, this past Christmas. Pictures of him holding her radiate pure joy. We are grateful he was healthy at that time to spend a last holiday with some of his family.Larry is survived by his wife of 13 years, Phuong Tran; his sisters Cindy Dalrymple of Grants Pass, Oregon, and Jann Dillon of Lakewood, Colorado; children Todd Geer of Fort Collins, Colorado, Julie Chancellor (Darren) of Louisville, Kentucky, Laura Cook of Brentwood, California; grandchildren Steven, Jessica, Daniel, and Dillon Geer; Brett Herb (Collin), MacKenzie and Christian Chancellor; Adam and Ryan Cook; Carson and Kyle Towers; two great-grandchildren, and five nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, grandson Alec Chancellor, and tragically his beloved daughter, Angela Towers, in 2017. Their deaths did not diminish his love for them, and he mourned their losses greatly.One of the last conversations I had with my dad before his pain was too great to communicate was to fight the tobacco companies so others would not have to suffer as he did. On behalf of my father, if you smoke, stop. If you do not smoke, do not start. If you use e-cigarettes, stop. Do not believe they are a healthy alternative to cigarettes. Our family’s and my dad’s pain are a direct byproduct of tobacco companies. Save yourself and your family from the grief we are experiencing and quit.A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life for Larry will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2019, at 1 p.m., at Oak Hill Memorial Park, 300 Curtner Avenue, San Jose, California.Larry took comfort knowing, when Angela unexpectedly died, that she was able to donate her organs and save the lives of four strangers. Because of this, in lieu of flowers, please send donations to Donate Life America at http://www.donatelife.net, You can also register to be an organ donor through this organization.

Lawrence Eugene Geer

Resident of San Jose