Christopher Pilafas Geschke

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Christopher Pilafas Geschke passed away suddenly on the morning of July 24, 2020. He was 35 years old. He is survived by his father, James Geschke, daughter Alexis Geschke, and two brothers, Andrew and Nicholas.

Chris was born in San Diego, CA, the oldest child of James and Elaine Geschke. Elaine passed away in January, 2020. Chris attended Rio Seco Elementary and Middle School before moving on to graduate from Santana High School in Santee, CA, Class of 2003.

His time at Santana is encapsulated by two dramatically different storylines. The first occurred on March 5, 2001 when the school was the site of a major school shooting that left two students dead and 14 injured. Chris, who was a few days shy of his 16th birthday, was one of many Santana students traumatized as witnesses to the tragedy. He eventually wrote about the experience, which was published in the San Diego Union-Tribune and the (Greek) Orthodox Observer.

On a more positive note, Chris overcame major back surgery at age 13 to become a leader and All Grossmont Conference linebacker for the Santana High football team.

After his graduation in 2003, the family relocated to the Atlanta metro area of Lawrenceville, GA in Gwinnett County. Over the next few years Chris traveled to Europe and to Greece three times, visiting London, Paris, Rome, Venice, Florence, Athens and many of the Greek Islands. Eventually he attended Georgia Perimeter College, where he was an “A” student and twice honored on the Dean’s List, before transferring to Georgia State University, where he majored in history.

In 2010, Chris along with Jordan Haley, celebrated the birth of their daughter, Alexis. Chris worked several jobs, including the Priest Assistant at the Cathedral of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Atlanta. Throughout his life, Chris was a scholar of history, and used his amazing intellect to analyze and study Western culture, particularly Medieval and Renaissance histories of England and Italy.

A devout lifetime Orthodox Christian, he spent his life serving the church, even from his adolescent days as an acolyte at St. Gregory of Nyssa in El Cajon to serving as the Priest’s Assistant at the Annunciation in Atlanta. In the last few years he devoted much of his time caring for his beloved mother Elaine, who was ailing for an extended time before her death earlier this year. He will be remembered best as a big man with a big heart, his incredible intellect, a jovial sense of humor, complete loyalty to his family and as a devotee to the television series Game of Thrones.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 2500 Clairmont Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329. (404) 633-5870.