Geraldine Rose Cassens, born in Oswego, NY on March 2, 1945 passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 15, 2022. Aged 77, she leaves behind her brother, Peter Pick, his wife, Margaret, her two beloved daughters, Kayci Browne and Cori Seyhoon, her son-in-law, Soroosh Seyhoon, and her grandchildren Maya, Kaz, Kaelan, Zayden, and Zealand. Her positivity and joyful spirit had a profound impact on all those she met.
Geri was born in an internment camp for Jewish refugees in Oswego, NY, after her family had endured much hardship in Europe during World War II. They were eventually granted refuge by the US Government from an Italian concentration camp, but she was never able to meet her father, as he was killed before the family left for America, her mother made the journey pregnant with her and her young brother. Her family's incredible story is documented in the book and film "Haven" by Ruth Gruber. (
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/171587.Haven).
As a child, growing up first in Newark, New Jersey and then in New York City, she enjoyed theater, dancing and singing at George Washington High School, where she met her best and lifelong sister Evi Bassoff.
Geri’s own mother, Anni Singer, helped instill a sense that she could accomplish anything, and she pursued academics at the highest level. Her love of math eventually led to a Statistics class in Behavioral Psychology, which set her on the path to a PhD in Neuropsychology from Tufts University in Boston, MA, where she met other dear friends who became family along the way. There, she organized an annual Thanksgiving for her young friends, which continues to this day.
Her time in Boston, at Tufts and completing research at Harvard University were formative years in her professional development, which propelled her to eventually move with her two daughters to work at Hartford Hospital and the Institute of Living in Connecticut where she spearheaded the Neuropsychological Society of Connecticut and influenced the field for decades to come as a teacher, elite clinician with a private practice in both Connecticut and Cape Cod, MA.
At home, she raised her two daughters with love, joy, travel and many, many parties at home. In more recent years, she loved being a 'Nana', creating fun activities for her grandchildren, watching soccer games, movies, playing games, eating out at her favorite seafood and French restaurants, and making her famous meatloaf or Goulash which always left smiles.
She adored the sea, water or any lake and missed Cape Cod dearly after moving to Austin in 2018 after she retired. While she loved being close to Cori and the grandchildren, she felt like a “fish out of water” and craved more connection to her beloved East Coast upbringing.
She was the absolute best mother, sister, friend, and Nana to her adoring grandchildren. She will be forever missed, but never forgotten as her spirit of joy and positivity will live on in all of us now.
Following her wishes, her ashes will be spread at Gray's Beach in Yarmouth Port, Cape Cod, MA.
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