Memorial Service
Saturday, April 20, 2024| Service: 10:00 a.m. |
The Owen Brown Interfaith Center| 7246 Cradlerock Way| Columbia, MD 21045
Interment
Private
Obituary
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course; I have kept the faith. – 2 Timothy 4:7
Surrounded by family, love, and music, Geoffrey Keith Gantt, 58, of Columbia, Maryland, transitioned from this life to his heavenly reward on March 26, 2024. Geoffrey was born in Washington, DC, on June 11, 1965, to the late Alphonso McKinley Gantt, Sr. and Rubye Sales Gantt. Throughout his life, Geoffrey lived in Prince George’s, Montgomery, and Howard counties and was an active community member in each area.
Upon completing his formal education, working with his hands, his voice, or his mind, Geoffrey pursued vocations which enabled him to help people in any way that he could. Having a wide array of interests, eclectic tastes in music, love of all foods spicy, and a passion for people, Geoffrey was an excellent communicator, having the ability to reach people where they were and help them thrive.
While Geoffrey was a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan, his first love was basketball. He was proud to play for various teams over the years, including for every school he attended, various county teams and adult leagues, the WHUR-FM Radio team, and in the driveway with his sons and neighborhood children. Always one to coach people to be the best that they could be, Geoffrey found honor in working with students and adults, including the downtrodden and forgotten. Thoughtful, kind, and funny, Geoffrey was the consummate friend. He was an avid reader and NPR podcast listener. Given his love of the Blues, he often planned social outings around the musical genre. His time as a volunteer with WPFW-FM inspired many trips and fostered his enjoyment of live, local music.
In Geoffrey’s thoughtfulness, he was always trying to ‘give back’ whether by volunteering at his home church, The First Baptist Church, Inc. of North Brentwood, serving as an election judge and poll-monitor with the local Board of Elections (laughing at being referred to as “the baby of the group” even though he was well into his 50s), or volunteering at his sons’ schools or as a “shadow committee member” in all of Angela’s public service commitments. Geoffrey was dedicated to making the world a better place. His guiding principle of caring for others was evidenced by his 20+ year commitment to be an organ donor. Geoffrey would take pride in knowing now that, even after his death, he lives on in the successful donation of his liver, corneas, and kidneys to give three families new leases on life and countless others hope through the research that will be possible because of his selfless act of love.
Married to Angela Noel in 1999, to their union they added two wonderful sons: Jacob and Geoffrey (Zion). Early on, Geoffrey discovered his talent for coaching, working with his first team, The Great Unknowns, and taking them to courts and leagues throughout the DMV to challenge all comers. He translated this love and leadership into his active role with his own sons, whether in aiding them to excel as fourth generation Scouts, coaching them and their friends in basketball, reading them bedtime stories, and capturing life’s most precious moments with his eye for the perfect shot. His passion for basketball is an inheritance he left his youngest son and his photography talents (which he inherited from his father), he passed along to his eldest son. In his most recent years, Geoffrey was involved with youth sports throughout Howard County, Maryland, where he coached a variety of teams, helping young men develop into exemplary student athletes and good citizens and instilling in them the principles of courage, leadership, and sportsmanship.
Learning to live with the loss of his physical presence, though he will forever be in their hearts, are: his partner in laughter, life and love of over 32 years, Angela; sons, Jacob and Geoffrey (Zion); brother, Alphonso M. (Lisa) Gantt, II; in-laws (“outlaws” as he affectionately called them), John Vann and Gloria Noel, John (Beth) Noel, Amy (Anthony) Longmire, and Diane (Carl) Dickson; his first set of pumpkins, nieces Amanda Miller, Jenifer (Louis) Miqueo, Heather (Kimmy) Michel, Arielle (Lan) Gantt and nephew Alphonso M. Gantt, III; godchildren, Samantha Salters, Savannah (Stephen) Brooks, and Miles Jones; stepmother, JoAnn E. Gantt; step-siblings, Nelson Ellis, Vicky (Del) Ellis Franklin, Alycia Jones, and Christopher (Vishara) Jones; and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
We are grateful to God for having had Geoff in our lives. His legacy lives on.