This memorial website was created in memory of Owen Geiger. Owen dedicated his life to helping people from all over the world to build sustainably. He was an amazing human being, always ready to help, give advice and encourage. Owen helped a lot in Nepal after its devastating earthquake of 2015.
Owen was considered to be a world leading expert in Earthbag building, was a licensed building contractor with a Ph.D. in Social and Economic Development. He wrote numerous books and articles on earthbag construction that became ‘bibles’ for natural builders. He also ran one of the largest natural building blogs. He was founder of the Geiger Institute of Sustainable Building, a former Director of Builders Without Borders, and has worked closely with Habitat for Humanity, the United Nations Institute of Training and Research and the U.S.Military Academy at West Point.
You can read more about Owen's life on the LIFE tab above.
Tributes
Leave a tributeHad it not been for that open gate, at 0:38 min in this video: https://www.forevermissed.com/owen-geiger/#gallery/videos|gallery|video|1092646
I would have probably never met Owen.
My wife was merely driving by his house, one sunny March 2008 afternoon after visiting family and friends. All of a sudden, thru the opened gate of the walled fence was this guy with a long blonde ponytail. Wait, we’re in rural Thailand!..What are the chances?!
Immediately I told my wife “Stop, stop the car, honey, Falang! (that’s: Foreigner, in Thai).” She pulled over to the side. I stepped out and walked towards him waiving and smiling: “Samy, from Oregon!”, I said . He waived back smiling “Owen, from Colorado!”.
Minutes later, my camera was capturing part of our conversation about his (eye catching trademark) yellow-green Hobbit bell-shaped earthbag root cellar. He had just completed it from mostly recycled pieces, and it still had a gravel floor.
We instantly hit it off with small talk about Thailand, his background and his decision for moving there. Soon the conversation shifted more to sustainable construction, of course, like so many already know, and how Owen lights up when he talks about things he’s passionate about. He was so compelling and refreshing!
Our eyes were opened wide that day and we easily made up our minds to someday build an earthbag house.
With phone numbers and emails exchanged, we officially became friends.
The next day, Owen and Meemee came over for a visit, and, he gave us more tips and encouragement.
Over the years we stayed in touch, and, actually came very close to seeing him this August.
Aaaah Owen, we’re gonna miss you very, very much... But you know you’ll always be here ❤️ :-)
Until we meet again...
We kept corresponding ever since, and i was always happy to hear from Owen, about his Thai food forest, watch his gardening videos and learn a lot (did you know that Owen shared his last name with a tropical tree?:)
We also kept talking on existential topics and i felt like Owen is a rare human who has deep understanding of universal processes and the interconnectedness of all. He was becoming childlike and happy when things were making sense, when everything was in accord and happening, and i felt it was coming from his very subtle, advanced existential experience. He was an old soul, not very comfortable in the constraints of the existing society, so he was always striving to make the world around him a better place, and that very society a happier human race. He was so selflessly happy when the Universe was singing its song... He was the one listening.........and watching ants in his garden walk.................................
... a single email. My husband and i were trekking in Nepal when the quake happened, and saw horrible things while running for life almost without stopping over the course of 2 days from a 4,000 meters high peak. We saw it all: devastation, death, marauders, thirst and hunger, extreme weather conditions, and when we finally got to safety we felt the need to do something to help others in need. Little did we know that this feeling would turn into a massive rebuilding project with radio interviews, government meetings and dozens of homes built!
But here i’m just starting to think how i can help, research possibilities to rebuild a destroyed country, and come across Owen’s blog. I sent him an inspirational email, almost not hoping to hear from this earthbag celebrity...but he responded. The rest is history.
His emails from the very beginning sounded like he was an old friend, like we knew each other, and i knew somehow this was a very special connection that meant something important....
I would have never imagined that we would create a successful project together just a couple of months later, just the two of us in the beginning - no one to help in a foreign country, everybody too busy organizing their disrupted lives after a natural disaster in fear-laden Nepal... it was only later that we met Kateryna and the wonderful team of Good Earth Nepal, but at that moment it was just the two of us, the 2 enthusiasts with no idea what will come out of it but big hopes and trust in existence... When we were just talking with Owen about his possible visit to Nepal to teach builders and engineers how to use earthbags for earthquake-resistant building, I had no idea how we would pull it off but somehow it all started happening! Owen inspired me, gave confidence in myself, the cause and created an electric surge of interest in earthbag building, which eventually led to huge success of the project and hundreds of people coming to his workshops in Nepal. I was observing it as if from aside, like a fairy tale that somehow i became a witness to. And Owen was the Wizard! :-)
He was a great and compassionate human being who put his life in service for others less fortunate and whole his life he tried to help poor people across the globe to rebuilt they homes after natural disasters destroyed them. We will always remember him because of him Kateryna was able to introduce his technology to Nepal and help many people to start new life in new beautiful and strong houses, made of earth..
Rest in peace.
I have read so many articles about Earthbag written by Owen and they are very useful for the people who have an interest in building with earth. He will always be missed... And on my every training after showing his earthbag construction video to the trainees, I will keep on saying as always" the person with the hat and long beard on this video is Owen, the earthbag expert"...
I hope that Owen's work grows to become more understood and sought after more than ever !
I remember taking a weekend earthbag building course with Owen in Nepal at the Osho Temple near Kathmandu. My imagination blown wide open to the possibilities building with earth in an ecologically,socially responsible and resilient way.
I have continued seasonal international natural building projects since and will continue to do so, in part from Owen's influence.
Thank You Owen, and Thank You All for creating this website !
Its important to honor this man and all the goodness he brought to this world.
Owen's enthusiasm was such a defining characteristic. He cared so passionately about natural building and our earth. Even though my connections with him have just been via the internet, I've felt close to him all these years.
I just looked through my old emails and found an amusing and characteristic comment from him. I had changed something rather inflammatory that he had posted on naturalbuildingblog.com even though I agreed with it, explaining that Kelly and I still lived in the land of lawsuits. He wrote back (and I'll give him the last word here)
:That's okay, haha. I figured you would.
I knew him for a short time but he managed to really touch my heart. He was a such a gentle soul and he was so eager to help everyone who asked.
I remember how he was getting excited like a child when things were going good with earthbag approval. He was always so encouraging. He never became skeptical or sarcastic like most of us.
On the very beginning when we just virtually met I asked him ‘can we build in monsoon?’ And he said ‘if there is a will there is a way’. This really encouraged me to keep going. I probably would not do it if he did not give me this answer.
I will always remember him and will miss our communication.
Still hard to believe I will not get an email from him again...
May his soul rest in piece.
Leave a Tribute
Owen my friend
Just a side note: Owen told me stories of riding a skateboard down Hoosier Pass. Completely nuts! There was a group of them that would grab onto a car bumper to get pulled up the pass and then switchback all the way back down on their skateboards. Man, the stuff we got away with back then!
Owen lived for decades in a small house he rented by the Arkansas river in Vineland. No one knows how old the house was but it had been built by someone very early in the settlement of this area. Just a small two room house that had a kitchen added to it long ago. Built on the hillside, it was strategically placed to overlook the river bottom. This area is where the St. Charles River joins the Arkansas and had lots of evidence of old campsites, either Native or early Settlers.
Sadly, development crept it’s way east and the property was sold for a housing neighborhood. Owen invited his closest friends out for a farewell party. He spoke about the house as an old friend who had so dutifully provided shelter to anyone who passed this way. He cried at the thought of the house being torn down, this safe haven, this labor of love.
This is who Owen was. One who truly understood and loved a home.
He was always there for answers.
I emailed Dr Owen many times and he always promptly replied with useful advice. His legacy will live through my future earth bag house.
Owen and Our Dogs
Soon after we got to know Owen, in 2003 when we were all living in Crestone, Colorado, my husband Kelly and I decided to make a trip. Kelly had a presentation to do on earthbag building in Texas and then we wanted to take our little motorhome into Mexico for a few weeks. Who could live in our house and take care of our dogs? Owen! He could also fill orders that came in by mail.
He was great with the dogs. When our little Basenji, Sunbeam, had advanced cancer before any of us knew it, he communicated with us and took care of having her euthanized at our request. That left LarryDog alone with Owen, and he gave the dog more baths than we ever did and lots of great walks. Larry became devoted to him.