Geary Richard Voots

We announce the sudden passing of Geary Voots. He was surrounded by his family in the comfort of his home in Austin, Texas, on April 24, 2023. Geary is survived by his wife, Nancy Stacy Voots, his daughters, Mackenzie Jean Voots and Natalee Voots Tennyson, and his grandchildren, Raynor Gearhardt Tennyson and Emmalee Voots Tennyson. Geary was born in Wichita, Kansas, on November 20, 1949, to his parents Richard Joseph and Vevalee Reeder Voots. He grew up in Iowa City, Iowa as the oldest to his younger brother, Don Voots, and younger sister, Myralee Voots. He was a Boy Scout from elementary through high school, and earned the Eagle Scout rank. Geary graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Iowa. In 1974, Geary was a member of the UI research team that developed an experiment to be executed on the Helios I spacecraft launched in collaboration with West Germany to initiate a decade of radio-wave exploration of our solar system with the specific goal of detecting the potential magnetic fields of Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune (spoiler alert — they were detected!). Geary had the opportunity to work in Germany during this time, and often commented on how much he loved his time in Munich. In 1977, Geary contributed to crafting the plasma wave instrument launched on Voyager 1 and 2, with his name carved into The Golden Record, which contains sounds and images selected to illustrate our cultures and the diversity of life on earth for intelligent life to potentially discover. Voyager 1 and 2 are the first manmade objects to reach interstellar space. Geary was an enthusiastic cyclist and completed many century rides throughout his life. Some of his favorites were the Shiner GASP, Hotter'N Hell, and the Devil's Backbone Metric Century. He also completed the MS 150 from Houston to Austin. Geary moved to Austin in 1978 and began working at Texas Nuclear. Geary met Nancy in 1987 through a mutual friend who he met at a dance class. Geary and Nancy married in Fort Worth, Texas on August 19, 1989 and created a home together in Austin, Texas. In 1991, their daughter, Natalee, was born. In 1994, their daughter, Mackenzie, was born. As a family, they enjoyed exploring the city, spending time in nature, playing games, watching movies, and traveling. Geary was the Senior Design Engineer at Thermo Scientific (formerly known as Texas Nuclear) from 1978-2005. He transitioned to the software field and was the Senior Software Developer at Inquisite from 2006-2011, and then the Senior Software Engineer at Paymetric from 2011-2018. Geary loved to master new areas. He was a mentor to many and was coined the nickname ‘The Professor’ by his co-workers at Paymetric (unbeknownst to him until his retirement party). Geary retired in the summer of 2018, kickstarting his retirement with a road trip through New England with his wife, Nancy. Geary and Nancy enjoyed relaxing days on the patio doing crossword puzzles together in the company of their cat, Stanley. Geary continued cycling frequently on the roads and trails of Austin. He enjoyed visiting his daughter, Mackenzie, in the Tampa Bay Area, for beach days, cycling, and kayaking, with Mackenzie moving back home in his last year, allowing for more quality time together. He enjoyed frequent visits with his daughter, Natalee, and son-in-law, Patrick, in Aledo, Texas, and found so much joy spending time with his grandchildren, Raynor and Emmalee. While Geary may be known at surface-level for his intellect, intelligence, and wit, you would never hear him boast about it. He valued family, pursuing happiness, and being kind and helpful to others above all else. Remember him for how much he loved his family, how compelled he was to help others, and for the several interests and hobbies that brought him joy. Think of him when you ride your bike, when you’re out in nature or traveling, when you’re playing games or attending a trivia night. Remember him when you take a sip of coffee or dance a waltz, a jitterbug, or a two-step. While Geary left us too soon, he made every moment count. Feel free to use this space to share remembrances of Geary. https://padlet.com/mackenzievoots1/remembrancesofgeary Please honor the life of Geary Voots by donating to this gofundme which will be used to support the National Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Genomics. https://www.gofundme.com/f/geary-voots

Geary Richard Voots

November 20, 1949 - April 24, 2023