John Geocaris bid us farewell on March 23, 2022 from his home in Denver, CO at the age of 70.
John was born to the late Angelo and Irene Geocaris on February 1, 1952 in Chicago, IL. He grew up on Chicago’s North Shore among his big Greek family, including siblings James, Connie and Dan, with endless food and a collection of stories to match. Ever the curious and at times hot-headed child, John had a nose for trouble, coupled with the intellect to get himself out of it.
At New Trier High School he excelled at basketball, tennis, and academics, but spoke most fondly of his time spent on Lake Michigan, making sure everyone knew about that time he and his cousin water skied every single month of the year...yes, they even broke ice off the boat in January.
To kick off his college career, John attended Harvard University but soon realized he was not Harvard material, a fact in which he took great pride. He finished his undergraduate degree at Colorado College and decided to stay nearby for law school at University of Denver. Though he never pursued a career in law, he certainly made the most of those years, building lifelong friendships with a crew of fellow misfits who eventually led him to Monica Raile.
After their first date to a Nuggets basketball game, John and Monica (“Johnica”) were inseparable. She dragged him up a few mountains, he moved in with her and somehow he convinced this woman to marry him. He never could quite believe his luck. John and Monica then moved back to Chicago to start a family and take over his father’s business in partnership with his brother Dan. Despite growing Little Lady Foods from five employees to over 1,000 and $250 million in sales, his greatest accomplishments were his children Alexis and Mike. Coaching and watching their sports brought John incredible fulfillment, even if he wasn’t always the most gracious fan.
In recent years, John was fortunate to watch his children flourish in their careers and marry kind and loving partners - Alexis to James Sutton and Mike to Madeline Schroeder. In early 2020, he and Monica moved back to Denver to be closer to them and their two granddaughters Riley and Taylor. Though Chicago will always be home for John, they were happy to return to the city where they fell in love.
Throughout his career, John always made time to give back to his community through church and various civic and nonprofit organizations. Upon his semi-retirement, John enjoyed consulting with young entrepreneurs and business leaders. He deeply believed in the potential of the next generation to correct, heal and progress our world forward, knowing his role now was to educate and empower them in this pursuit.
John was many things to many people - a husband, father, brother, Papou, coach, mentor, investor, role model, business partner - shifting from one role to the next as the moment called-for. Most of all, he was a kind and gentle man with the unique ability to truly make someone feel seen. He made a lasting impression up to his final days, with one of his newest acquaintances recently sharing “I want to spend more time with that guy.”
(In lieu of flowers, we invite you to donate to Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee, or the charity of your choice.)
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