JIM GEIGER

PERRY, GA - James Norman “Jim” Geiger passed peacefully on Monday, January 5, 2026, with his loving wife by his side. He was 93 years young. A celebration of his life will be held on Friday, January 9, 2026, at Perry Methodist Church. The family will receive friends at 10:00 a.m., and the service will begin at 11:00 a.m. with the Reverend Tom Carruth and the Reverend Jim McIlrath officiating. Interment will be in Perry Memorial Gardens immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests memorial contributions to The Westfield School, 2005 US Highway 41 S, Perry, GA 31069, or Perry Methodist Church, 1002 Carroll Street, Perry, GA 31069. Jim was born April 5, 1932, in Mansfield, Ohio, to the late Ernest Geiger and the late Margaret Bauman Cline (late Harley Cline). His early years were spent in Mansfield, and from a young age, he demonstrated distinguished leadership abilities, a strong tenacity, an amazing resilience, and a deep conviction that would set him apart and become distinctive traits and hallmarks that propelled him for the rest of his life. Jim earned the rank of Eagle Scout and was a leader in ROTC, as well as many other clubs and service organizations before graduating from Mansfield High School in 1950. He accomplished all of this while working daily before and after school to supplement his and his mother’s weekly household expenses in those high school years. Jim earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Ohio Wesleyan University, and subsequently proudly served his country in the United States Air Force as an active-duty pilot flying refueling aircraft during the Korean War. Those memories became some of his favorite stories to tell later in life, and he entertained all with these fascinating tales that detailed the skill and precision required to complete his missions. Still in the Air Force, he met the love of his life, Paula Hunt, while stationed at Hunter Air Force Base in Savannah, Georgia. They subsequently married and returned to Ohio for a few short years. With warmer weather calling, they headed south with Paula teaching elementary school to fund Jim’s Emory University Law School endeavors. Jim studied by day and worked by night in the law library to pursue their dreams for their future. He was a class and fraternity leader all the years there, while some of their best memories were made in those early days on the steps of Emory’s Law Library, sharing dinners Paula had prepared and brought in a brown paper bag during Jim’s evening work breaks. He also made many lifelong friends and established significant networks during those years, and one in particular, with Sam Nunn, would change the course of his and Paula’s life. After graduating with his Juris Doctorate from Emory, they were thrilled to choose Marietta, Georgia, as their community, where Jim joined a law firm and began practicing. They enjoyed the quaint town and loved settling in, spending evenings walking around the town square and making new friends. This chapter didn’t last long, for soon after, Sam reached out to his law school friend with an offer that was difficult to refuse, so they didn’t. And the rest, as they say, was history. Jim and Paula, with their babies, Nancy and John, moved to Perry in 1964, and Jim joined Sam to establish Nunn & Geiger. It wasn’t too long until they convinced Jim’s brother-in-law, Judge Willis B. Hunt, to join them, and over the years, their law practice expanded and evolved to include Judge George Nunn, Judge David Pierce, and Avon Buice, among others. Jim built an expertise and developed a passion in real estate law, and throughout the years, Jim was instrumental in the development of some of Perry’s parks and suburbs, with a cautious eye to ensure that each project would contribute to the betterment of this special community and leave a lasting footprint that could be enjoyed for generations to come. In his ever-present wisdom, he would always make the lots “just a little bit bigger,” as he envisioned the neighborhoods full of children and family moments, and he wanted to ensure they had ample room to enjoy their homes. In the final years of his tenure, he and his son, John, teamed up to practice together in their firm, Geiger & Geiger. Through 46 years of practicing law and being self-employed, Jim took only 1 sick day. As Senator Nunn reflected on his lifelong friendship and partnership, he shared, “Jim & Paula loved Perry and that love was fully returned. We were lucky that they settled amongst us. I was very lucky that Jim was my trusted partner and trusted friend. When I originally offered him to come, he was my only choice…and it turned out to be a great one.” He went on to add, “It has been said that ‘trust is the glue of life – the fundamental principal that holds together all relationships.’ Jim Geiger was a trusted leader in our community. He was also a trusted lawyer and advisor – known for his judgement, his integrity, his fairness, and his respect for all”. Jim was a tireless civic leader and community steward, and he excelled in all that he put his time toward. He was the 1976 President of Perry’s Chamber of Commerce and a long-time member of the Kiwanis Club. He served as Kiwanis Club President, and under his leadership, his Perry chapter earned a national service award, and he and Paula traveled with Dr. Bo & Sue Arnall to Canada to receive the recognition. Jim was a founding board member of Westfield Schools, and he had the distinction for submitting the name “Westfield,” which was fortuitously selected. He would be honored and recognized with the Westfield Heritage Award in 2007 for his leadership, advocacy, and service. Jim was a member of Perry United Methodist Church since 1964, and he and Paula were active members of the IHS Sunday School Class. He was a faithful and devoted servant of the Church, maintaining active leadership roles, including serving on the Administrative Board, the Pastor Parish Committee, and the Finance Committee. He felt great joy in sharing his expertise and experience to the Church and being a part of its growth and expansion. Geiger, as he was affectionately known to many, possessed a true servant’s heart and that led him to take an active leadership role in everything that he touched, all with the sole mission of leaving a lasting impact on others and the world a better place. And somehow in his spare time, he used his unique talents to refinish and renovate homes, from top to bottom, together with Paula’s impeccable decorating skills, creating beautiful homes for others to enjoy. His craftsmanship, remodeling skills, and attention to detail were equal to his endless devotion to his family and friends. He enjoyed a wide circle of wonderful friends with whom he and Paula shared the gift of travel, decades of birthday dinners, and delicious home-cooked supper club meals. His wicked sense of humor and tremendous sense of optimism endeared him to all who knew him. Jim was predeceased by his parents, and his beloved son, John Willis Geiger. Left to cherish the memories they made with Jim are his loving and devoted wife of 68 years, Paula Hunt Geiger; his daughter, Nancy Geiger Davis, & her husband, Clint Davis, and family; his grandchildren, Katie Greene Coursey (father, Steve Greene), & her husband, Dylan, Madeline Geiger (mother, Mia Brown Geiger), and Jesse Pritchett (mother, Jim’s daughter-in-law, Jennifer Geiger Luppens); and great-grandchildren, Kash Coursey, Jeremiah Coursey, and Elijah Coursey. Condolences for the family may be left in the online guestbook at www.watsonhunt.com. Watson-Hunt Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.

Tributes

JIM GEIGER

April 5, 1932 - January 5, 2026