Lacrosse Hall of Famer George McGeeney Jr. dies suddenly at age 59
George McGeeney Jr. left a lucrative career in business because of his passion for lacrosse. McGeeney, who enjoyed a lengthy career as a high-ranking executive with PepsiCo and later worked for several private equity-backed companies, was named Chief Operating Officer of US Lacrosse on Feb. 14.
McGeeney started his new position at US Lacrosse last Monday and the following night conducted an interview with The Capital about why he made the sudden career switch.
“Lacrosse has been such a meaningful part of my life, and I’m at a stage where I’ve been looking for a way to give back,” McGeeney said. “I’ve always been a firm believer in the US Lacrosse mission and admired from afar the progress of the organization.
“I think all the US Lacrosse initiatives are a big reason for the meteoric growth of the game,” McGeeney continued. “I was wondering: What can I do to give back to the sport that has given so much to me and my family?”
In a truly stunning turn of events, McGeeney died last Friday before he could even complete one week as US Lacrosse COO. The 59-year-old Anne Arundel County native apparently suffered a heart attack, his youngest sibling said.
“George was genuinely excited about this new job with US Lacrosse and was really looking forward to making a positive impact on the sport,” said Tim McGeeney, who spoke to his oldest brother at length last week. “George had only been on the job a few days and already had a lot of thoughts about things he could do that would benefit US Lacrosse and all those who love the game.”
McGeeney lived full-time in Atlanta and did not plan to relocate with his wife and young daughter until after the school year. He planned to commute back-and-forth and was staying at a hotel in Baltimore County not far from US Lacrosse headquarters in Sparks. Hotel staff found McGeeney unresponsive on Friday morning.
“It’s truly amazing some of the messages we’ve been getting from all sorts of people far and wide who wanted the family to know George had touched their lives in some way,” said Tim McGeeney, a star goalkeeper at North County High and Loyola Maryland. “When something tragic and unexpected like this happens, it really shakes people up. We have been heartened by the response from so many who loved and cared about George.”
“Brutal” Defenseman
George McGeeney Jr. was a two-sport standout at now-defunct Andover High, earning All-County honors in football and lacrosse from Capital Gazette Newspapers. Joe Gold played both sports for archrival Brooklyn Park and did not relish the annual matchup with Andover specifically because of the fearsome middle linebacker and close defenseman.
“My interaction with George started in high school when I had to see him twice a year. I hated playing against that guy,” Gold said. “I was the running back and George had one job — to get me. It was the same thing in lacrosse. George was extremely competitive and had a mean streak.”
Paul Shea took over as head coach of Andover boys’ lacrosse in 1978, which was McGeeney’s senior season. Shea, who had previously been an assistant, remembers cringing at the sight of McGeeney pounding the opposition.
“I almost felt sorry for the opposing attackmen. George was just so brutal, absolutely fierce with his checks,” Shea said. “Often, players would immediately give up the ball or retreat when they saw George coming. He was a man among boys and showed no mercy. He was built like an oak tree with a very muscular, thick body.”
Shea readily admitted that the standout defenseman had a bit of a wild side. McGeeney and Andover attackman Jimmy Griffith were inseparable pals and troublemakers.
“George was full of mischief. I remember he and Jimmy Griffith used to dance to the Rolling Stones doing Mick Jagger moves during bus rides,” Shea said. “I always had to be on the lookout for George because you never knew what he might pull. It was never anything bad or malicious. He was just a crazy, playful guy.”
Gold, who was one year older than McGeeney, thought he’d left his nemesis behind after moving on to the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. As a sophomore, the Brooklyn Park native got word that McGeeney had committed to play lacrosse at UMBC.
“I was like ‘What? Now I’ve got to see this guy every day?’ This is going to be no fun at all,” Gold said. “George would carve you up like a Thanksgiving turkey, using an axe instead of a knife. George’s agility and foot speed allowed him to stay on top of you, while his power and arm strength enabled him to give you a beating. Unlike most big, strong defensemen, you could not run away from George.”
McGeeney enjoyed a tremendous career at UMBC, joining Gold and many other notable players to lead UMBC to the Division II national championship in 1980. The Catonsville school is celebrating the 40th anniversary of that championship that was led by legendary head coach Dick Watts.
Gold was helping organize the anniversary celebration, which is slated for April 11. To build interest in the event via social media, it was decided to do a countdown of sorts based on the jersey numbers of every player.
“George wore No. 51 at UMBC and last Thursday was 51 days away from the 40-year anniversary celebration. That made it George McGeeney Day and we posted pictures of George to Twitter and Instagram,” Gold said. “It wound up being the craziest, awkward timing.”
Gold was excited McGeeney was returning to the greater Baltimore area and they had been texting back-and-forth about getting together for dinner one night.
“I was absolutely devastated when I got the word about George. I couldn’t believe it was true,” said Gold, who spent five years working for US Lacrosse as National Director of Special Events.
Hall of Famer
McGeeney was named first-team All-American and earned the prestigious Schmeisser Award as the nation’s best defenseman in 1982. He continued playing after college for Maryland Lacrosse Club and was a two-time member of the United States national team.
McGeeney was a key cog for Team USA when it captured the gold medal at the International Lacrosse Federation World Championships in 1986 and 1990, serving as captain of the latter squad. He was a first team All-United States Club Lacrosse Association selection from 1983 until his retirement after the 1990 season at the age of 30.
Gold also played alongside McGeeney with Maryland Lacrosse Club and against him in the early years of professional indoor lacrosse. “George was as nasty as can be. He wasn’t dirty, but he would take every legal shot he could get,” Gold said.
McGeeney was inducted into the Greater Baltimore Chapter of US Lacrosse in 2001. He was enshrined in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame the following year and is also a member of the UMBC Athletic Hall of Fame.
George was the oldest of four brothers that all played college lacrosse with Mike attending Air Force Academy and John continuing the family tradition at UMBC. Tim, who became an All-American goaltender at Loyola, said all the siblings (including Connie) admired and respected the oldest.
“I think George was very much like an older brother to a lot of people, not just the four of us. I don’t think George ever realized the profound impact he made on so many,” Tim said. “George was such a force of nature, a very intimidating presence on the lacrosse field and a powerful figure in the boardroom. He was also a great husband and father.”
McGeeney specialized in overseeing start-up or restructuring operations during his time with Pepsi and that work sent him all over the world, including Czech Republic, Greece, India and Mexico.
“My business career took me abroad for the better part of 10 years,” said McGeeney, who was thrilled to get a visit from Gold when the latter was in the Czech Republic to conduct a youth clinic on behalf of US Lacrosse.
McGeeney also lived in the Minneapolis and Denver regions, serving as an assistant coach with the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League and Denver Outlaws of Major League Lacrosse during the latter posting. He had two children with first wife Patrice and thoroughly enjoyed introducing them to the sport. Hunter McGeeney was a defenseman at Mountain Vista High and Marymount, while Kailey Logan McGeeney played at Regis Jesuit High.
McGeeney and second wife Astrid have an 8-year-old daughter named Mia Sophia. In fact, Astrid McGeeney played an integral role in convincing her husband to pursue the US Lacrosse position that had previously been broached by Chief Executive Officer Steve Stenersen.
“I’ve been having this conversation with my wife for a long time, and I’m sure she gets tired of hearing me talk about old lacrosse stories,” George McGeeney told The Capital last week. “My wife kind of pushed me to reach out to Steve to see if there was any way I could contribute.
“It’s not about the money, it’s about following my passion and love of game. Steve and the rest of the staff have already done a tremendous amount of work. I think the sculpture is there, I just need to smooth out the rough edges.”
Stenersen had spent considerable time painting a picture for McGeeney of what his role with US Lacrosse could be. They were rivals at the collegiate and club levels (Stenersen with North Carolina and Mount Washington).
On Monday, Stenersen was still coming to grips with the loss of McGeeney.
“Our hearts are heavy with the shock that such a passionate, vibrant soul has passed,” Stenersen said. “We were incredibly excited to benefit from George’s leadership, and I have no doubt that his experience and energy would have had a profound impact on our organization’s ongoing development. He will always be remembered as one of our sport’s all-time greats.”
Family and friends are invited to celebrate McGeeney’s life this Thursday, February 27, at Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. with a funeral service being held at noon. Internment is private.
