About Geoffrey
Jeff was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 1, 1929, the first child of Myndal and Gilbert Nathanson. As a young man, Jeff embraced the great outdoors, ice skating in the winters and boyhood summers exploring the Boundary Waters, and fishing with his father in Detroit Lakes. He worked as a lifeguard, bellhop and tennis instructor at Breezy Point Lodge on Pelican Lake. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in journalism, and served in the Air Force. After his service, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he began working in television production, most notably on Groucho Marx’s This is your Life. It was in Los Angeles where he met his soulmate of 54 years, Elayne May Nagin. They married in 1955, and had three children.
Jeff’s entrepreneurial spirit led him into memorable careers in magazine publishing, Cable TV and the car rental business. Jeff’s passion for the outdoors guided he and Elayne on countless adventures, exploring new and exotic locales, scuba diving, and fly fishing rivers and streams across the globe. They shared a life full of love, friends, and family. He was a mentor, counselor, coach, and sturdy shoulder to lean on. His compassion and affable spirit were available to all who entered his life. Jeff made each person feel welcome, safe, and loved.We are all blessed by his kind spirit. Geoffrey was passionate about protecting the natural world and his love of humanity.