1937 - 2026
Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Joe was the son of the late Elton and Connie Geshwiler. He grew up in suburban Beech Grove, where his father served as mayor for 33 years and instilled in him the belief that politics could be both civil and constructive.
Joe discovered journalism while still in high school, beginning his career as a prep sports reporter for the Indianapolis Star. He attended Indiana University, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in political geography. In 1964, he joined the Chicago Daily News, where he held several key editorial positions.
A memorial Mass will be held Saturday, October 3rd, at 1:00 PM at the St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Joe’s memory to Buckhead Christian Ministry, the Center for the Visually Impaired, or a charity of the donor’s choosing.
In 1979, Joe joined the Atlanta Constitution as national and foreign editor, building a network of freelance correspondents around the world. He moved to the newspaper’s opinion page in 1983 and wrote more than 4,000 opinion pieces over the next 17 years, covering foreign affairs, criminal justice, politics, economics and international development. Through the National Conference of Editorial Writers, Joe participated in fact-finding trips around the world, reporting his observations from places including Argentina, Cambodia, Jerusalem and Sarajevo.
Following his retirement in 2004, Joe continued writing for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a freelance feature obituary writer. He preferred to call the pieces “life stories” and received many notes from grieving families thanking him for capturing the essence of their loved ones.
Music was another lifelong passion. Joe was a choral singer from his teenage years into his 80s. His fascination with distant places was strengthened by an eight-week USO-sponsored tour of U.S. military bases in Japan and South Korea in 1955 with Indiana University’s Singing Hoosiers. As a freshman, Joe designed a logo for the ensemble that remained in use decades later. He subsequently sang with Episcopal choirs in Chicago and Atlanta, including those at the Cathedral of St. Philip and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. In 2005, Joe and his wife, Micki, joined the St. Luke’s choir on a 12-day performance tour of England.
Joe also believed strongly in helping others directly. He was a longtime volunteer with Compeer Atlanta, the Center for the Visually Impaired and Buckhead Christian Ministry, giving his time and providing hands-on assistance to people in need.
Joe is survived by his beloved wife of 67 years, Micki Geshwiler; his son, James Geshwiler and his wife, Erin, of Hopkinton; his daughter, Sara Jordan of Westborough; his grandsons, Connor and Alex Geshwiler of Hopkinton; his granddaughters, Jessica Jordan of Atlanta and Rachel Jordan of Sylva, North Carolina; and his brothers, Bill Geshwiler of Maryville, Tennessee, and Rick Geshwiler and his wife, Tatyana, of Jacksonville, Florida.
