A Tribute to My Sister and a Life Well-Lived

My beautiful sister, who was only 63 years old, passed away two weeks ago today.  I’m taking a break from blogging about food, wine, and spirits this week to write a proper tribute to my wonderful big sis. To those of you who knew her, most of this will be familiar and hopefully ring true. And for those of you who didn’t know her, let me introduce you to Laura.

We have experienced quite a bit of loss the past few years in the Geis family. Our dad passed away seven years ago, followed by our mom two years ago. And now, our sister just two short weeks ago. All of these losses were hard, but my sister’s death has been the most difficult for me to accept. Perhaps it’s because her passing was so unexpected and sudden. But I suspect it’s more the fact that her death has forced me to face my own mortality in a way I never have before. Because Laura was 63 years old, only 18 months older than me. She should have had decades more of life to live, time she would have shared and enjoyed with her children, her grandchildren, her amazing community of friends, and yes, my brothers and me.

My sister with her kids Christopher, Emily, and Nicholas at Emily's wedding

Laura was the absolute best big sister I could ever ask for. Given how close we were in age, I spent much more time with her than I did with my older brothers growing up. She let me hang out with her and her friends during my high school years, and made sure they treated me well. Laura’s friends were my friends. As we grew older, we stayed close and visited each other often and spent many Christmases together as adults. Her three children – my nephews Nicholas, Christopher, and my niece Emily – became my wife Laurie’s and my surrogate children as they grew up, and Laura embraced us and encouraged us in that role.

Playing duets with my sister Laura on the piano

When I started dating my wife Laurie, Laura was one of the first in my family to embrace her and treated her just like a sister. They became fast friends and maintained that friendship over the next 28 years. In more recent years, my relationship with my sister ebbed and flowed like most relationships do, but we always reconnected if too much time had gone by without talking, and it was usually Laura that was the one to reach out first.

My sister, Laurie, and I at a wine tasting in Napa Valley

Laura was the only one that ever got away with calling me Marky, Marky Sparky, or Sparkler. And Laura is the only reason I ever had my mouth washed out with soap. I was in 4th grade and my nemesis Doug McGowen was taunting me on our walk home from school. We started fighting, and in the heat of the moment, I said, “God damn you Doug McGowen!”. My sister’s eyes went wide, and she said, “You cursed Mark – I’m telling mom!” And she was true to her word. When I got home, there she was, big smile on her face, standing next to my mom who was waiting with a fresh bar of Irish Spring in her hand. Thanks a lot, sis! I’m pleased to tell you all today that I have finally forgiven her for that betrayal.

Laura and I in our younger days

And in a role completely out of character for her, Laura was the torturer of our toy poodle, Mitzi, growing up. She loved to dress Mitzi up in her doll’s dresses and pretend that Mitzi was her baby for hours on end. I’m absolutely sure Mitzi hated every minute of wearing those dresses and couldn’t wait for the “play date” with my sister to end. One day, she put Mitzi “to bed” in a cabinet in her bedroom and then promptly forgot about her for a couple of hours. After a frantic search, we finally found Mitzi, locked in the cabinet, and forever changed by her incarceration experience – she was never the same dog after that!

As an adult, my sister was a dedicated mother who loved her kids ferociously and passionately. As Nick, Emily, and Christopher grew up she started venturing out beyond being a stay-at-home mother to expand her horizons. She started writing a blog to share her thoughts and stories to move and inspire others by her words. She developed a passion for travel. And she started volunteering with World Vision to support their efforts to address maternal and child health care in war-torn countries. She also developed a passion for wine. She moved back home to Mendham, NJ a few years ago to be closer to her kids, which allowed her to host them and their significant others in her home for over three months during the COVID lockdowns. She called it her “COVID Lucky Strike Extra”!

Laura and I in high school – no comments on the braces or brown corduroy suit!

And, on the less positive front, she developed an unhealthy obsession with Barry Manilow in her 50’s that quite frankly alarmed us all. Laura’s kids might know for sure, but I think it’s accurate to say she traveled to Las Vegas with her fellow Manilowites at least 15 times over the years to see him in concert. She was, in all respects, a full-fledged Barry Manilow groupie until the end.

That flaw aside, my sister Laura was strong, stubborn (that’s a universal Geis trait by the way), loving, kind, compassionate, generous, and loyal to a fault. She had a gentle, beautiful soul. I know I will miss her dearly, as will everyone who was lucky and privileged enough to have known her. And now, her legacy and her spirit will live on through her children Nick, Emily, and Christopher and her grandchildren. She will be forever loved, terribly missed, and never forgotten.

Just look at that beautiful smile!