Joseph “Joe” David Geeslin, Jr., passed away on June 5, 2024, in Carmel, Indiana after a three-year struggle with Alzheimer’s. He was born on January 18, 1937, to Joseph David Geeslin and Wilma Rose Box Geeslin in Jasper, Alabama.
Joe was a graduate of Sheffield High School, class of 1955, where he was a football and track star. His athletic prowess opened new doors and opportunities for him as he was the first Geeslin in the immediate family to attend college.
Joe attended the Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, a beloved place that he would cherish for the remainder of his life. He played and excelled in both football and track. In 1959, Joe’s outdoor track team won the Southern Conference – one of only 3 Championships in the school’s history. That same year, Joe’s mile relay team won the Southern Conference Championship and Joe beat LSU’s Heisman Trophy winner and track star, Billy Cannon, in a competitive race. The 1959 track team was later inducted into the Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame. Beyond sports, Joe was active in leadership and command roles on campus and served as an aide to legendary Army General Mark W. Clark who was then the President of the Citadel. Annual alumni events with his classmates were among his fondest memories.
Upon graduation, Joe served in the United States Army where he would eventually rise to the rank of Major. His posting at Fort Benjamin Harrison led to the marriage of his first wife, Phyllis Diane White Geeslin, and his subsequent attachment to the Hoosier State. Joe and Phyllis had three children; Joseph David (Holly) Geeslin III, Susan Elizabeth (Kevin) Woodhouse, and Christopher Donald (Catherine) Geeslin.
Joe obtained his law degree from the Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Indiana University in Indianapolis in 1970 and was admitted to the Indiana Bar Association on May 20, 1970, while simultaneously serving as the Chairman of the State Tax Board. Joe built a successful property tax law firm and served in private practice for over 50 years. He was awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Edgar D. Whitcomb in 1969 and later in 1987 by Governor Robert D. Orr.
Joe’s largest impact was in the community. He contributed financially and with time and energy to numerous local and national organizations. He strongly believed that it was an inherent duty to make the world a better place. For example, Joe’s oldest child, “David,” is Deaf and Joe was instrumental in making advancements in Deaf education not only at the local level but also the national level. Joe was the Chairman of the Indiana School for the Deaf Board for 10+ years where he put his efforts into the use of Sign Language in the school. He was also President of the International Association for Parents of Deaf Children, now known as the American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC), where his hard work laid the foundation for bilingual American Sign Language/English Deaf education.
Joe’s passion was horses and where he met his second wife Elizabeth “Liz” Geeslin. Liz and Joe loved the western pleasure horse and were involved in several horse organizations. Joe was president of the Palomino Horse Breeders Association (PHBA) from 1985-1986 and President of the National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) from 1990 – 1992 and another term in 1994. He was inducted into the NSBA Hall of Fame in 1992 and he also received the Jack Benson Award in 2013. Joe and Liz campaigned Investment Asset, a 1987 Quarter horse bay stallion which after a successful show career, was retired to stud and became one of the nation’s leading sires.
Joe had an infectious drive and ambition and yet was also humble. He was proud of his successes but even happier to hear about the success of others, particularly family members. He appreciated accolades but never sought them, preferring for most of his charitable work to be done quietly and in the background. Joe was able to handle complex challenges such as overhauling a state tax code, while at the same time enjoying simple pleasures like growing the world’s best tomatoes and fresh lettuce from the garden. He was disciplined in his work and with physical activity, yet enjoyed leisure time with friends and family and liked nothing more than to be surrounded by those he loved. He was politically connected and savvy but much preferred a barbeque or golf-cart ride with a grandchild. His favorite days were Sunday in the fall when he could worship at his church, Centenary United Methodist Church, followed by the Colts game.
In addition to the family members mentioned above, Joe is survived by 8 grandchildren- Amelia Alice (Sam) Dicken, Morgan Ann Geeslin (Nathan Lee), Hannah Elizabeth Woodhouse, Catherine Ann Woodhouse, William Christopher Woodhouse, Joseph Richard Geeslin, Caroline Dorothy Geeslin, Lane Catherine Geeslin, and one great-grandchild- Penelope Iris Dicken.
A remembrance ceremony will be planned at another time.
Donations can be made in a couple of ways in Joe’s memory:
The Citadel Foundation, Class of 1959 Scholarship https://foundation.citadel.edu/s/1674/c21/home.aspx?gid=1004&pgid=61
The NSBA Foundation https://www.nsba.com/about-the-foundation
The Indiana Deaf Children Foundation https://www.indianadeafchildrenfoundation.org