Geehan, Former UW Team Doctor, Qb, Dead At 85

Dr. John W. Geehan had three wishes, and by the time he retired in 1977 he had fulfilled all of them.

Geehan will be remembered best as the longtime team doctor of the University of Washington athletic department in the 1950s and 1960s. He died Thursday at his Seattle home following a long illness. He was 85.

His wife, Lorraine, recalled that Geehan always wanted to quarterback a Husky football team, he wanted to quarterback the team in a Rose Bowl and wanted to be a doctor.

The first wish came true when he was quarterback of the 1925 Husky team. With All-American George Wilson leading the way, the Huskies were 10-0-1 in the regular season. Next came Geehan's second wish, as he led the Huskies to the 1926 Rose Bowl.

The Huskies, despite an outstanding performance by Wilson, lost to Alabama 20-19. Johnny Mack Brown, who later went on to western-movie fame, ran for two touchdowns against the Huskies.

Geehan graduated from the UW and went to the Northwestern University Medical School and became a doctor.

During World War II, Geehan was a captain in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He then returned to Seattle and was a physician and surgeon for 43 years. He retired 13 years ago.

An avid sportsman, Geehan enjoyed golf, tennis, skiing and had a special love for gardening.

He was a member and former president of the UW Alumni Association, past president of the Seattle Jaycees, and past member of the Broadmoor Country Club, American Medical Association, Washington Physicians and Surgeons Association, and the Alpha Sigma Phi (Mu Chapter) Alumni Association.

He is survived by his wife; sons John Jr. of Winthrop and Richard of Renton; and a stepson, Jan Jacobson, and his wife, Judy, of Grapeview, Mason County.. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Carol.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the Arthur A. Wright Funeral Home, 520 W. Raye St. Remembrances are suggested to the UW Athletic Scholarship Fund or Medic 1.