Geraldine "Geri" Jean Haines Malcolm

Geraldine Jean Haines Malcolm, “Geri,” a loving wife, mother and grandmother, died peacefully at home with her children at her side Monday, Oct. 14, 2019.

She was born Aug. 14, 1929, in Dayton, Ohio, the daughter of Norman and Frances Haines. At 15 she met Ned Malcolm, also of Dayton. They married in 1947, had two children and celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary Nov. 12, 2018.

Geri loved and taught dance for many years and remained an excellent dancer and aerobics devotee well into her 80s. She was crazy for bridge in all forms and played for decades, from party bridge to masters’ levels.

In 1960, the family moved to Portland. She was a devoted supporter of her children’s activities and spent many years as the school secretary at Sylvan Elementary School and later assistant to the principal at West Sylvan Middle School.

Geri was a hard worker with a fiery spirit, always looking for something new to do, a trait that led her to seek out a wide variety of volunteer and paid jobs. After retiring from West Sylvan she worked in sales at Nordstrom Rack and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Her fitness level was a point of pride. She ran in the Cascade Runoff several times and treasured her Joe Loprinzi barbells.

She and Ned retired to their vacation home in Gearhart and later moved to Seaside.

She is survived by her son, Chris Malcolm (Anne Mangan) of Portland; daughter Jane Verdurmen (Ed) of Seaside; grandchildren Hadley Malcolm (Sam Kallevig) of Brooklyn, New York, Hank Verdurmen of San Francisco and Dorothy Malcolm Davenport (Cody) of Portland; and a brother, Fred Haines (Judy) of Las Vegas, Nevada.

A joint celebration of life for Geri and Ned will be held at 1 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12, at Seaside United Methodist Church, 241 N. Holladay Drive.

Memorial gifts may be directed to Oregon Symphony, Lincoln High School Alumni Association endowment fund for student scholarships or the Seaside Public Library.