Obituary: Walter William Geister III

January 11, 1945 – June 13, 2025

Longtime Aspenite Walter William Geister Ill passed away peacefully on June 13th, 2025, surrounded by his beloved cats, Hobo, Daisy, Connie and Hewey.
Walt was born on Jan 11, 1945, in Elgin, IL. to Walter William Jr. And Jane Conrath Geister. His early life was defined by sports, particularly football, at which he excelled. He attended Northwestern University in Evanston IL. He was a walk-on football player his freshman year but received a full scholarship to play linebacker on the team until he graduated from NU. Shortly after college, he became a Vista Volunteer in California. Ultimately, he ended up in Aspen where he found his true home and legions of friends. He still remained very close with his Delta Upsilon fraternity brothers and teammates, especially during football season. Many of his NU friends made it a point to visit him in Colorado with their families over the years.
Walt worked as a bouncer at Jake’s and The Gallery and became a waiter at the hippest spot in Aspen, The Village Pantry. Stories of the Pantry are folklore. He also worked as a waiter at the Chart House for some years, living the wild and crazy life in Aspen. He bought the River Rats rafting company in 1974 with partners Ben Dorman and Jeff Read. Partners Jim Hancock and Bert Meyers bought into the company 2 years later.
One night, the party life caught up with Walt. He came home from work, found a neighbor’s car parked in his parking spot and, in a Cool Hand Luke moment, he smashed out their headlights with a tire iron. Legendary Sheriff Bob Braudis gave him public service duty and a job offer to be a jailer at the Pitkin County Jail in Aspen.

Walt happily paid his debt to society as a jailer for many years, hosting the rich and famous and the not so rich and famous in his jail.
Walt was a lifelong bachelor with a passion for wildlife, big and small. He volunteered for the Pauline Schneegas Wildlife Foundation for many years where he was known to transport animals as small as a mouse with a broken leg, to orphaned mountain lions, injured bears, and many birds with broken wings. His love for all animals knew no bounds. He spent his retirement fishing on the Green and Colorado rivers with friends, taking occasional trips with his dear friend Dee Beaubien to see polar bears, wolves, and parks, and enjoying the wildlife viewing from his back porch in Silt, Co.
Walt was part of the fabric of Aspen. He will be remembered by his many friends as a big gruff guy with a heart of gold. Fraternity brother Jim McDaniel remembers him as a “lovable mix of physical strength and erudite intellect”. He was dearly loved and will be greatly missed.
He is survived by his sister Suzanne (James) Keegan of Elgin, ll. His nephew Jeff (Stacie) Keegan, his niece Julie (James Stubblefield) and great nieces and nephews Brianna, Alivia, Luke, Ava and Liam.
Donations to the Pauline Schneegas Wildlife Foundation, 5945 County Rd 346, Silt Co 81652 would be gratefully accepted.