Constance Geist Zelinski

Constance Geist Zelinski, 87, passed away peacefully in Portland, Maine, on Monday, August 24, 2026. She was a cherished mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and a treasured member of the community. More than this, Connie was a dynamo whose presence enlivened every room she was in and propelled every project swiftly, and with raucous good humor, toward its end.

Connie was born in Syracuse, New York, in early 1939, in the final months of the Great Depression. Her early childhood in the small town of Camden was an idyll lived in the shadow of World War II. Connie was the first of four daughters born of Daniel and Elizabeth Daley; as a result of her parents’ divorce and the death of her beloved father soon afterward, she took on considerable responsibility for raising her sisters. Still, Connie grew up amidst the homey pleasures of life in small-town America, from swimming holes to bicycle trips to the corner store to leading cheers for the high school football team.

After graduating from Camden High, Connie left home to attend college at Alfred Tech, in Western New York, to study Medical Laboratory Technology. At Alfred, she was set up on a date with handsome Don Geist, who was visiting with friends from Buffalo. In 1958, she completed her Associate degree as Don finished his Bachelor’s degree and enlisted in the Army. The two were soon married, and, by 1962, they had three children, Diane, Dale, and Jan. Connie’s inimitable mix of industriousness and revelry virtually defined the family culture. She was competitive, lively and hilarious: uproarious game nights were a staple during these years and throughout Connie’s life.

The family followed Don’s career opportunities from Buffalo to Cortland and Plattsburgh, New York; Connie took a few years off from her own career to raise the children, returning to work as a lab technician at Cortland Memorial Hospital and, once settled in Plattsburgh, continuing her studies at SUNY Plattsburgh, where she earned her BS in Education and an MS in Counseling. Connie and Don were divorced in 1975.

On the job as a Health and Gym teacher at Saranac High School, Connie met Joseph Zelinski, and they ignited a loving relationship that would last the rest of their lives. They were married in 1979. Connie and Joe pursued their careers in education across the North Country, from Peru to Potsdam, where Connie rose through the administrative ranks at SUNY Potsdam, eventually earning the title of Associate Dean of Continuing Education. She retired in 2008. During their decades in St. Lawrence County, she and Joe made vital contributions to the First Presbyterian Church of Potsdam, hosting countless church suppers and engaging in other volunteer efforts. They also loved riding the open roads all across America on their Harleys (Connie drove one, too), as well as canoeing the shores of Higley Flow in South Colton, on whose banks they lived until Joe’s retirement.

2011 brought the premature loss of Connie’s eldest, Diane, as well as a move to Florida for Joe and her. They bought a house in The Villages, “Disneyland for retirees,” enjoying a life of active leisure, socializing with her sisters, Nancy and Ellen, and their husbands; and contributing to numerous activities under the auspices of their church, Hope Lutheran. Connie and Joe loved hosting the visiting families of their grown children, Lori, Jan, and Dale.

Connie’s beloved Joe passed away suddenly in 2015. By then, Connie had experienced the onset of dementia, which accelerated following Joe’s death. In 2018, she moved to Coventry, Connecticut, to live with Jan, and in 2022, she moved to the memory care unit at The Cedars, in Portland, Maine, to be near Dale and other family members. At The Cedars, she was a beloved presence, whose graciousness, ironic sense of humor, and sweet smile charmed the staff until the very last.

Though not without its tragedies, Connie lived a life rich in exploration, accomplishment, and deeply loving relationships. Everyone whose lives she touched came away fortified by the experience. Connie was indeed a force for good.

She is survived by her children, Dale and Jan Geist; her stepdaughter, Lori Zelinski; her sisters Nancy Solberg, Ellen Grayson, and Karen Jagger; grandchildren Althea Lozefski, Keston Geistwalker, Lani Goble, Christopher Milne, Amos Geist, and Guthrie Geist; and great-grandchildren Hayden, Noah, and Tatum Goble. She is preceded in death by her husband Joseph Zelinski, her daughter Diane Geist; her mother, Elizabeth Jagger; her father, Daniel Daley; and her sister, Diana Steffens.

The family wishes to recognize the wonderful care provided to Connie by the team at The Cedars Lunder Household during her time there. Donations may be made in her memory to the charity of your choice.