We celebrate the life of Jacqueline Geiger, who died March 17, 2003, three days after her 77th birthday. Her bright smile made the world a better place for the many people who knew her.

She was born Jacqueline Marie Satterlee March 14, 1926 in Litchfield Ill, to Dallas and Golden Faeth Satterlee. Her passion for airplanes led her to begin flight training at age 16. Between her junior and senior high school years, the family moved from Litchfield to Little Rock Ark. where she graduated from Little Rock High School with honors in 1944. She continued her flight training, obtaining private and commercial pilots licenses with single engine, multi engine and seaplane ratings as well as an Australian pilots license, while working for Central Flying Service of Little Rock. Jackie eventually attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Civil Air Patrol and was among the first women to pilot a jet airplane. She was a member of the 99's, a woman’s flying organization, and in 1955, Jackie and her long time pilot friend Sara Shonk won second place in the Sky Lady Derby air race.

In 1950, Jackie married fellow pilot Flynn Dunaway, who was subsequently lost with his airplane while serving the U. S. Air Force in the Korean conflict.

Jackie then studied Aeronautical Engineering at Little Rock Junior College and Purdue University. Neil Armstrong was among her classmates at Purdue. In 1953 she met James F. Jim Geiger, a recent Purdue graduate, at an alumni dinner. Jackie and Jim were married on the Purdue campus November 27, 1954, and enjoyed each other's company for almost 50 years. Together, they raised four children, and lived in Texas, Maryland, Florida and Iowa before moving to Richland in 1973, where Jim was employed by the Rockwell Hanford Company. She spent many years contributing her services to the families of Central United Protestant Church as librarian, and created and maintained puppet displays in the church library. Her bright, empathetic personality drew teenagers to spend hours talking to her.

Jackie was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1992, but she and husband Jim continued to remain active, attending social functions together. People always enjoyed Jackie's bright and pleasant smile.

Jackie is survived by her husband, James; son James Lee with wife Loreen and grandson James of Cortland, N.Y., son Judson with wife Andrea and granddaughters Jacqueline and Meaghan of Fort Worth, Texas; son Jack with wife Barbara, granddaughter Sarah and grandson Jacob of Port Orchard Wa.; and daughter Nancy with husband Eric McElroy, grandsons Brendan and Christopher and granddaughter Erin of Benton City.

We salute Jackie's wonderful, loving life. A memorial service will be held at Community Unitarian Universalist Church at 619 West Albany, Kennewick, at 12:00 Saturday, March 22. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Neurological Center, 712 Swift Blvd, Suite 1, Richland, WA, 99352, 946-8455.