She was born in Brunswick on May 29, 1951, the third daughter of Gerard A. and Rita M. Poulin Bisson. She graduated from St. John’s Elementary School in Brunswick and then went on to Mt. Merci Academy in Waterville after winning a full scholarship to attend there. She graduated with honors from the University of Southern Maine Portland– Gorham with a degree in sociology in 1973. On Sept. 14, 1973, she married Stephen Dana Geer at St. John the Baptist Church.
She spent her career working for Bath Iron Works and Computer Science Corporation as a computer analyst and technical support personnel.
She was a communicant of St. Jude’s Church in Freeport.
Jeannine overcame many challenges in life, but always faced them with a brave and determined outlook. She beat breast cancer in 1991 and in 2007 received a kidney transplant from her loving sister, Anita, after facing the challenges of Polycystic Kidney Disease. After being diagnosed with dementia and Parkinson’s disease in 2008, she continued to face each challenge with grace and strength. Jean always looked out for everyone else, never wanting to be the center of attention or “fussed” over.
Jean enjoyed gardening at home, sewing crafts and clothes, baking, and canning throughout the summer. She enjoyed volunteering at St. Jude’s where she chaired the church fair and was involved in countless other activities. Her church community was always important to her. She loved reading and playing cards. She enjoyed shopping with her sisters, traveling through timeshare with her family, and taking cruises with her husband, Steve. Her family was very important to her. She especially enjoyed being Méme to her two grandsons, Zenon and Royce.
The family includes her husband of 41 years, Stephen Geer of Topsham; her daughter, Stephanie Marris and her husband, Peter of Auburn; her son, Christopher Geer of Portland; two sisters, Aline Archibald and her husband Jim of Newnan, GA, Anita Shean and her husband, Leonard “Tiger” of Brunswick; two brothers, Gerard Bisson and his wife, Terri of Middleburg, FL, and Roland Bisson and his wife, Dianne of Phippsburg; five nieces, Amy Hittle and her husband, Patrick, Amanda Owenby and her husband, Tom, Melissa Fazio and her husband, Jeff, Megan Geer and Jennifer Bisson; five nephews, Douglas Bisson, Eric Bisson and his wife, Joy, Benjamin Shean and his wife, Jennifer, Joshua Shean and his wife, Amanda “Cubby”, and Ryan Bisson and his wife, Megan; grandsons Zenon and Royce Marris; great-nieces and nephews, Eric, Alex, and Laura Hittle, Evan and Beth Owenby, Emma Bisson, Brendan and Kaelyn Shean, Addison Fazio, and Isaac and Riley Shean. She was predeceased by her parents, Gerard A. and Rita M. Poulin Bisson, her sister, Anne M. Bouchard and her sister-in-law, Deborah A. Geer.
A celebration of Jeannine’s life will be held on Friday, June 27, 2014, at 11 a.m. at St. Jude’s Church, Main Street, in Freeport.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to either: National Kidney Foundation of Maine, 630 Congress St., Portland, ME 04104 or Maine Breast Cancer Coalition, 499 Broadway PMB 362, Bangor, ME 04401-3460.
To share your thoughts and condolences with the family, please visit www.desmondfuneralhomes.com.
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