Obituary

Geraldine “Geri” Raybould, 82 years old, died peacefully at home on Friday, January 31, 2025. She is survived by her loving husband of 54 years, Donald Raybould, sons Stephen (Tricia) and Michael (Stephanie), sister Sharon Moser, and grandchildren August, Marley, and Nicky. She was preceded in death by her parents, Gerald and Rachel Moser.

Geri was an extraordinary person and no words can do her justice. Born on October 12, 1942 and raised in North Carolina, she moved to Virginia in high school, graduating from Prince George High School. She worked as a civil servant at Fort Lee (Gregg-Adams). There, she met the love of her life while they both acted in the military base’s rendition of Westside Story, Geri as a Jet Girl and Don as Chino. Geri also stole the show as the beautiful Stupefying Jones in Li’l Abner. Geri valued education and went back to school in her 70s, culminating in the honor of being the second oldest person to ever graduate with an associate’s degree from John Tyler (Brightpoint) Community College. Geri is a published author who wrote poetry and news articles. 

Geri pursued many other hobbies as well. Her love for Father Christmas figurines resulted in a vast prized collection of over 100. Geri also valued giving back to her community; she volunteered at the Shepherd’s Center of Chesterfield and at her church, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Chester, where she and Don have been members for over 40 years.

She and Don enjoyed travel, living in Germany while he was stationed there with the Army, visiting friends and family in Florida and Michigan regularly, vacationing in Scotland, and taking a cross-country driving trip to see their great country.

Family was a priority for Geri, who rarely missed any of her sons’ musical or theatre performances. She was a fixture at her grandchildren’s swim meets, band competitions, wrestling matches, and theatre performances. Each year on her grandchildren’s birthdays, Geri gave them each a handmade card, complete with original poetry that she had written.

Geri’s sharp wit and sense of humor will be sorely missed. Her smile could light up a room, and her laugh was infectious. She was open to new experiences and was always available for a heart-to-heart talk. As the matriarch, she was the valued cornerstone of the family. She radiated beauty inside and out.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make donations to the Shepherd’s Center of Chesterfield or the Sarah Cannon Fund at the American Cancer Society. A memorial service for Geri will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church (12201 Richmond Street, Chester, VA, 23831) at 1:30pm on Sunday, April 6th, 2025.