Robert E. Geis, 83, of Des Plaines, a retired shipping supervisor, died of heart failure Monday, April 29. Born in Louisville and raised in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood, Mr. Geis graduated from Lane Technical High School. Shortly after graduation, he joined Sara Lee Corp. in Chicago and eventually became a supervisor in its shipping and receiving department. He retired in the early 1980s after 40 years of service. A railroad enthusiast, Mr. Geis was a railroad enthusiast who rode Amtrak trains throughout the country, collected model streetcars and trolley cars and volunteered with the Illinois Railway Museum in Union. Mr. Geis, with his long, white beard and large belly, dressed as Santa Claus for the Park Ridge Fire Department in the early 1990s. Honest and optimistic, Mr. Geis “was quite a character,” said his niece, Penny Dweil. A memorial service will be held May 31.
