John Geyman | Obituary

1931- 2026

John Payne Geyman, MD, a devoted husband, father, physician, pilot, educator and advocate for health care reform, passed away peacefully at his home in Friday Harbor, WA, on May 28, 2026, at age 95.

Born in Santa Barbara, CA in 1931, John graduated from Princeton University in 1952, served three years in the Navy, and graduated from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine in 1960. A two-week preceptorship with a rural family doctor in Dunsmuir, CA, and two years of general practice residency in Santa Rosa, CA sparked his passion for community-based family medicine.

With his wife Gene and growing family, John moved to Mount Shasta, CA in 1962 where he had a rural general practice. In 1969, he transitioned to academia and played an important role in helping to develop family medicine as a new medical specialty. After starting a family medicine residency in Santa Rosa, CA, he became a professor and led departments of family medicine at the University of Utah and the University of California, Davis. He then chaired the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington for fourteen years before returning to rural practice as a family physician on San Juan Island in 1991.

A prolific writer, John authored more than 160 journal articles and numerous books relating to health care, books about his life as a pilot, and a book about losing his wife, Gene, to Alzheimer’s, “Souls on a Walk.” After retiring from medical practice in 1997, he became a tireless advocate for health care reform, writing books championing a not-for-profit national health insurance program, and serving as an active member and past president of Physicians for a National Health Program.

An avid and adventurous pilot for over 60 years, John’s passion for flying knew no bounds. He flew Cessnas, taildraggers, floatplanes, biplanes, sailplanes, hang gliders, and homebuilt planes and other experimental aircraft. He was an active member of the San Juan Pilots Association and the United Flying Octogenarians (UFOs), and flew with the Eagles, a group of local pilots in Friday Harbor who volunteer to fly cancer patients from San Juan Island to Bellingham and Skagit County for treatments.

John was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Gene Geyman, who died in Friday Harbor in 2012. He is survived by his second wife, Emily Reed Geyman, his sons Matt (Amy), Cal (Lisa), and Sabin, and his grandchildren Ben, Emily, Will and Laura. A celebration of life will be held Saturday, June 27, 2026, at 2 pm, at the Friday Harbor Airport.