Francis William "Bill" Geertsen

1921 - 2015

VETERAN

Early Life: Bill was born December 24, 1921, in Ogden, Utah, the sixth child of Oscar Norman and Ina Belle Buckingham Geertsen. He attended primary and secondary schools in Ogden, Utah. He graduated from Weber High School.

Life's Work | Service | Interests: Following graduation, Bill attended Weber State College for one year, prior to his call to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Northern States Mission. Shortly after returning from serving his God, he answered another call to serve his country as a Heavy Machine Gunner with the 341st Infantry in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. He fought valiantly and survived the infamous Battle of Bataan in the Philippine Islands. Upon his return from active duty, Bill was encouraged by a friend to transfer from Weber State College to Brigham Young University, where he became a member of the first BYU Golf Team. At BYU, he also met and married his sweetheart, Elizabeth June Seaton, in the Salt Lake Temple on September 1, 1948. After graduating from BYU the same year, with a degree in Elementary Education, he began his career as an educator in the Provo School District. He later earned a master's degree in physical education. During his 35 year tenure with PSD, Bill taught school at Grandview and Rock Canyon Elementary Schools and was the school administrator at both Wasatch and Edgemont Elementary Schools, as well as the teacher/administrator at the Utah State Hospital's school in Provo, Utah. Next to his family, working with young students brought him his greatest joys in life. He loved his students and fellow staff members and considered them to be a part of his extended family. Bill "graduated" from his career with Provo School District in 1983 but never abandoned his role as a teacher. After he retired, he answered a call from the Church Educational System, to serve with his wife as the headmaster of the Moroni School, located on the Central Pacific Island of Kiribati. He and his wife served two subsequent missions in Kiribati, as well as a mission to the California San Jose Mission and a Humanitarian Service Mission to Hanoi, Vietnam. As an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Bill also served in numerous capacities, including: home teacher, seventy, bishopric counselor, bishop, branch president, and high councilor. Francis William "Bill" Geertsen passed from this life on Saturday, May 9, 2015, surrounded by those whom he loved most. He was 93.

Survived By: His wife, June; four children: Kristine (James) Pinegar, Jeffrey A. Geertsen, Brenda JC (Steve) Rhoads, and Sandra (Tom) Carpenter; eleven grandchildren; five step-grandchildren; twenty-two great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Preceded In Death By: His son, Gary Seaton Geertsen; his parents and five siblings.

Obituary: © The Daily Herald | Provo, Utah | 13 May 2015

Services: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Location: Edgemont 8th Ward Chapel | Provo, Utah

Arrangements: Walker Sanderson Funeral Home

Burial: East Lawn Memorial Hills Cemetery

Bio compiled by: Annie Duckett Hundley