Obituary of Geoffrey Briggs

Stafford ~ Geoffrey A. Briggs died Thursday, July 28, at the Genesee County Nursing Home in Batavia. He was born in Buffalo, New York on February 18, 1945, son of the late Alfred and Grace Sherwood Briggs. After graduating from Amherst High School in 1963, Geof earned both his bachelors and masters degrees from the State University College at Buffalo, and after brief teaching stints in Long Island and at St. Mary’s High School in Lancaster, spent the rest of his thirty-three year teaching career introducing ninth grade students in Batavia, to earth science, both at Notre Dame and later at Batavia High School. In addition, he spent many summers as an instructor in teacher training workshops sponsored by the New York State Education Department. Geof served as a writer for New York State Education Department projects including Regents exams and curriculum development. He was a contributing author for a National Geographic education program and for the Everyday Weather Project. In 1993, Simon and Schuster published his lab book Earth Science. As a young man, Geof spent his summers at Camp Pathfinder in Algonquin Park in Canada, where he developed a life-long love of the outdoors, especially canoeing and fishing. He was a woodworker as well, spending hours restoring vintage bamboo fishing rods, producing bowls and boxes, and ultimately building his own wood and canvas canoe. He was interested in antiques and the early architecture of the area, working for years restoring the federal home he purchased when he moved to Bethany in 1970. He was a member of the Genesee County Landmark Society, serving as its president in the early 70’s. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, the former Susan Skelton; three children, Matthew Briggs of Boston, Adam (Amy Lubitow) Briggs of Portland Oregon, and Elizabeth Briggs of Carbondale, Colorado; two grandchildren, Gavin Briggs and Hazel Lubitow; a brother, Sherwood (Katharine) Briggs and a sister, Alison Sasiadek. He was predeceased by a brother, Alan Briggs. There will be no calling hours. A memorial service will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Stafford on October 8, 2016 at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Algonquin Campership Fund, RCAF, 500 East Ave., Rochester, NY 14607.