Reynaldo "Willy" Guillermo Geerken MD
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Reynaldo Guillermo Geerken, MD, (Willy) passed away peacefully at home with family members on January 11, 2021. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Hilda Rosa; three children, Gretchen Dean (Sean), Ingrid Geerken, Reynaldo Geerken Jr. (Ajita); eight grandchildren, Caitlin Dean (Kevin), Madeline Dean, William Dean, Isabella Nilsson, Kurt Dean, Alexander Geerken, Lucas Geerken, and Ariana Geerken; and his brother Jorge, his loving cousins, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Reynaldo Geerken, MD, and Mirtila Campos, PhD. Dr. Geerken was born August 28, 1942 in Havana, Cuba. He attended St. George's High School in Havana where he made many friendships that lasted his whole life. He traveled to the United States in 1960 as an 18-year old after his family lost everything when Castro took over. After finishing an undergraduate degree in two years, he enrolled at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine in San Juan. He was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Willy and Hilda Rosa married while he was studying medicine. After graduation, Dr. Geerken joined the United States Army. His initial posting was a 13-month tour of duty in Korea. In addition to caring for the troops, he spent his off-duty hours providing volunteer medical care for the local children who called him the "Kind Uncle". After his return from Korea, Dr. Geerken completed his internal medicine residency at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington and his gastroenterology fellowship at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He served for ten years and received awards including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal before leaving the Army as a lieutenant colonel. Dr. Geerken led a private practice as a gastroenterologist in Tampa for three decades. He was affiliated with various Tampa-area hospitals and was a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology, of the American College of Physicians, and of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Later in his career, he taught at the University of South Florida Medical School and returned to his roots treating those who have served in our nation's military as an attending physician at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital. He loved being a mentor to the gastroenterology fellows training at the VA. Dr. Geerken was a longtime member of Christ the King Catholic Church, a founding member of the Tampa Bay Latin American Medical Society, a member and Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, and a member of Palma Ceia Country Club. He loved spending time with his family, traveling with life-long friends, playing dominos, and fishing. Due to the pandemic, a private memorial service will take place Saturday, January 16, at Blount & Curry's MacDill Chapel. The service will be live-streamed. Plans are in progress for a memorial mass and celebration of life to be held later in the year. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (https://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org/v), Christ the King Catholic Church (https://ctk-tampa.org/), or the Judeo Christian Health Clinic of Tampa (https://www.judeochristianhealthclinic.org/index.html).