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Dr. Todd A. Georgi, 76, of Crete, NE died August 7, 2023. He was born June 9, 1947 to Marjorie and Dr. Carl Georgi.
Todd attended Cours de Ponthieu in Paris, and then Sheridan Elementary and Irving Junior High Schools in Lincoln, NE. He graduated from Lincoln Southeast High School in 1965. The Boy Scouts of America was a big part of his life. He earned Life Scout with progress toward the rank of Eagle Scout, but paper routes and school interfered. During the summer of 1963, he “dug” fossils in northwest Nebraska, where he worked with a young Larry Martin and a not-so-young Dr. T. Mylan Stout. Evolution was ingrained after seeing a continuum of organisms in sequential strata. The summer of 1965 was spent at an NSF summer institute in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. The experience instilled in Todd a lifelong interest in Geology, Oceanography and Meteorology. In August 1965, he enrolled at Sewanee University of the South. Todd graduated with a BA in Biology. Dr. Harry Yeatman built in Todd a lifelong passion for anatomy and histology.
While at Sewanee, Todd was involved in several groups and activities, including the Sewanee orchestra, the German club, The “Order of Gownsman” (an academic honor society) and Delta Tau Delta fraternity.
In the fall of 1969, Todd entered graduate programs at UNL, where he earned an MS and a PhD in zoology. His thesis topic was the pathogenesis of mycobacterium paratuberculosis. While in graduate school Todd met and married Mary. She was the love of his life. Todd taught at Creighton University and then at Doane College, where he remained for 28 years. He led a variety of biology classes, as well as several other courses on subjects as eclectic as Sherlock Holmes; Lock, Stock and Barrel; photography; and travel interterms.
The travel interterms included five trips to western Europe and five trips to Australia. Other achievements include founding the Wildlife and Conservation Club; founding and supervising the Doane Trap team; operating both a TEM and a SEM (high-tech electron microscopes); starting “The Honors Program” at Doane (involving student research with Judy Dudley as the first Doane honor student); serving as the AAUP president and representative to the AAUP state conference; researching, presenting and publishing numerous works about paddlefish resulting in the online paddlefish bibliography; serving as co-chair of the “Paddlefish Symposium;” being awarded “Distinguished Visiting Professor” at SWA University in China; and being a peer reviewer of the Sturgeon Quarterly.
Todd received many teaching awards at both Doane and UNL’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Georgi also mentored three Fulbright scholars and was Doane’s faculty sponsor for the Gamma Phi Iota sorority.
Todd and Mary traveled extensively. They visited Machu Picchu, China, Japan, Patagonia, New Zealand, the Orkney Islands and Assisi. Pitztal and the Tyrol in Austria, Paris and Florence where favorite spots, where driving was a contact sport for Todd. Mary was his rock.
A memorial service will be held at Roper & Sons South Lincoln Chapel at 1:00 pm on Saturday, August 19.
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James Stone
RIP TODD, you were my truest friend, I will miss our conversations.
Bill Nefsky
Todd was a great guy and one of my best friends all through junior high and high school. We had kept up on a sporadic basis in recent years. I had only spoken with him a few weeks ago in which he sounded strong and very upbeat. Very sad about his untimely passing and sincere condolences to his wonderful wife, Mary. Rest In Peace old friend!!
Bruce Kubick
/Todd was a true and kind friend, one of the best. I had some fine conversations with him recently, and was saddened by his passing. He was a high quality person, admirable in so many ways. I have many fond memories of our sincere friendship thru school years and beyond. He was well thought of by many.
Gretchen Garlinghouse
What a rich and enlightening biography, and life beautifully lived. My loss for not getting to know him more deeply. My condolences to his family and friends. - Gretchen Garlinghouse
Bruce Watson
What a great, full and significant life Todd had. He will be missed. I need to take more time to contact more people I care about while they and I am here.
Michael Tavlin
This was a difficult day for me, as Todd was one of my very best friends in high school, throughout our college years and beyond for many, many years. Todd was "best man" in our wedding. Sincere condolences to Mary. Rest in Peace my friend.
Bing Batten
Todd was my go-to guy when I was a little fella and we had just moved in across the street. We played hard together. Rest in peace my friend and thank you for some wonderful memories!
Dale Guilford
Yours was a life well lived, Todd. What a great example. I am proud to have known you.
Best wishes to the family.sincerely,
Dale Guilford
Mark Dalton
Todd was one friend from Southeast that I kept in touch with throughout our adult lives. Taking my kids out to see his spread by Crete (dogs and barn cats, his tractor, Porsches in the barn, the gun room) was a highlight of one of our trips home. We talked regularly on the phone and by Email, and I'll miss hearing his voice for the rest of my days... "Jeeze, Dalton, what's new with you?" Rest easy, my life long friend.
Michael Border (Border)
My family moved to Lincoln three months after JFK was killed, halfway through my junior year. Consequently, I didn't have long ties with anyone in the LSE Class of '65, though friends I made there continue to be friends.
I met Todd Georgi at LSE, but really became friends after he graduated from Sewannee with his doctorate and took up teaching at Doane College. And he was a great friend and much fun. Over the years I got to meet his livestock - dogs and cats. We were drinking coffee one autumn day at his country home when he let his pair of black Labs, Ike and Tina, out for a romp. They immediately plopped down breaking the ice in a shallow puddle. Bathtime for doggies.
Todd was deeply knowledgeable about firearms and ammunition, so much so that major ammo supplier Hornady hired Todd to compose an index of cartridge types and specs which was published in hardbound form in the early '90s.
I moved to Minnesota and began fishing in earnest in northern lakes. One year, Todd joined me and a handful of Lincoln and Denver fisherpeople at Lost Acres Resort on Lake Kitchi for a week's fishing. Catching Northern pike and walleye probably seemed tame to Todd since he had done research on paddlefish, both in South Dakota and Chine. In fact, Todd was a research guest at Wuhan during the Tiananmen Square massacre when he told me he felt a cool distance from the academics who had reciprorated by hosting him there.
His adventures and eapulette shirts always conjured up an Indiana Joes aura. Todd was a great fellow and skilled raconteur who's warm wit and intelligence I will miss. Peace be to Todd and his lovely wife, Mary.
Michael Border