Celebrant Pam Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

Geoffrey R Waters was born on September 11, 1948, in Port Clinton, Ohio, to Kitty Clarke and Ralph Waters. The eldest of five children, Geoff had four sisters: Melanie, Jan, Martha, and Kaye. As his father was in the Air Force, Geoff lived in Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, and Illinois before the age of five. When Geoff was seven-years-old, the family moved to Japan for two years, where he had his first piece of writing published in the school paper. When the family returned to the states, they lived in Kansas, El Paso, and finally settled in Austin, Texas for 7 years. The family was close knit as they traveled from city to city. Geoff was always inquisitive throughout their travels.

Geoff was a great student in school. He won many contests and excelled in math and science. When he wanted to attend the National Boy Scout Jamboree, he earned half of the money for the trip by delivering the morning newspaper. Geoff was also musically talented playing the piano, oboe, and cymbals. He spent time practicing his love of music, wanting to master his abilities.

As a semi-finalist for a National Merit Scholarship, Geoff had a perfect score in his SAT’s. After graduating from Central High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, he earned his Bachelors Degree in History and Chinese at Vanderbilt University. He represented the University on the televised G.E. College Bowl in 1970. Geoff went onto Indiana University, where he earned an MBA in Finance and a PhD in East Asian Languages with a Major in Classical Chinese and Minor in Tibetan. A member of Mensa, Geoff was fluent in Mandarin, Chinese, and Tibetan.

In 1979, Geoff moved to Chicago to work at Continental Bank. When a friend invited him to a dinner at a Chinese Restaurant, he met the woman who would become his wife. Joyce Rehfuss and Geoff both shared a love of languages. Joyce also appreciated his sense of humor. The couple dated for 10 months and then married on July 17, 1981. Geoff was proud to share the title of father to his son, Asa. The new family moved to Hong Kong in 1982 where he later climbed up the ladder with Bank of America. With a growing family, Geoff was happy to welcome the birth of their son Matthew in 1983. An active and supportive father, Geoff loved his children and always wanted the best for them. With many years of travel between Chicago, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles, Geoff shared his love of different cultures and languages with his family. He did a lot of traveling in Southeast Asia while living there, but the family also made a point each year to visit family in the states.

While in Hong Kong, Geoff led a group of Canadian bankers and officials, including Pierre Trudeau, on a tour of China. The family relocated permanently to the United States in 2000 when Geoff started working for Union Bank of California and later the Credit Management Group. Over the years, he spent many hours translating Chinese writings and poetry so the world could experience it in a beautiful way. In 1986, he published Three Elegies of Ch’u. In early 2007, White Crane: The Love Songs of the Sixth Dalai Lama was published and he also won the Willis Barnstone Translation Prize. In addition, he has been published in many anthologies and literary magazines.

In his free time, Geoff was a fan of European Formula One Car Racing. He also loved Saab cars and owned seven Saabs during his lifetime. He attended the Saab Aero Academy, which was an exclusive performance-driving program in Georgia. A writer, he was proud of his blog, “The Mandarin – What does a guy who knows Chinese know about anything else?” While he worked toward appearing on Jeopardy, he tied with Ben Stein on the television show Win Ben Stein’s Money.

There were many favorites in his life, but the most important focus was always his family. Traveling from city to city over the years made the family stronger. Geoff and Joyce were thrilled at the birth of their first grandson, Jackson. Geoff loved Jackson and looked toward a wonderful future for his grandson. Last October, Geoff and Joyce celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a two-week trip to Italy. Geoff Waters was a man who led others by example. His entire family will miss his intelligence, witty sense of humor, and genuine nature. With many titles in life, he will best be remembered as a gifted son, wonderful husband, good father, and trusted friend. Memorial donations are welcome in his name to the American Heart Association.