Denise Geyer Williams

Denise (Nin) Geyer Williams was born on August 8, 1952, in New Haven, Connecticut at Grace Hew Haven Hospital, and was the first child of Pauline (Bunny) and Earl Geyer Sr. Denise lived a full life and fought a lifelong battle of Sickle Cell Anemia and the last eight years kidney disease. Despite these challenges with much pain, Denise lived a beautiful life. 

Denise graduated from Hamden High School in 1970 and was a cheerleader for the St. Martin de Porres CYO basketball team. She also attended New Haven College/University of New Haven for two years and married Rudolph (Rudy/Whis) Williams Jr. and despite the odds Nicole (Nikki) Denise Williams was born in 1973. She later continued her studies at Southern Connecticut State University and Gateway Community College. Denise was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of St. Peter Claver at St. Martin de Porres Church and loved to dance and sing in the Gospel Choir at St. Martin’s with Mom Pauline, sisters Sharlene (Cookie), Alexis and friends. She was employed by the Hamden Board of Education Middle Schools, CNA Social Worker and Administrative Assistant at the Sickle Cell Society in Pittsburgh, Pa. The family loved extensive travel by land, sea and air throughout Canada, the Caribbean, California, Florida, Hawaii, Mexico and Europe. Blood transfusions before extensive travel eased Sickle Cell crisis. Denise and Rudy relocated to Maryland in 2010 to be closer to Nikki and the granddaughters which ignited annual trips to Cabo San Luca with longtime friends Sandy and Don Nelson. We invited Duke McAlpine to Maryland every summer and enjoyed Yankee/Orioles games at Camden Yards and great Baltimore cuisine till 2022. Denise’s Kidney Disease diagnosis in 2016 and dialysis later halted our international travel but still enjoyed vacations with family in the U.S. 2023 was hard on the Geyer, Milisits and Williams families with the passing of our daughter Nikki in April and Denise’s sister Alexis in August. 

Nin entered the gates of Heaven on Thursday, June 13, 2024, joining her Dad Earl Geyer Sr, daughter Nicole (Nikki) Williams Milisits and sister Alexis (Lex) Geyer. Denise leaves behind her husband Rudolph (Rudy/Whis) Williams Jr, her mother Pauline (Bunny)Geyer, her sister Sharlene (Cookie, Peanut) Geyer, her brother Earl Geyer Jr, granddaughters Ava, Ana and Kylin Milisits and great granddaughter Leila Milisits, Uncle Fulgense (Caesar) Morris, and Aunt Geraldine Williams and a host of relatives and friends.  

Calling hours are Monday, June 24, 2024, from 9 am-10 am with a Mass of Christian burial service at 10:00 am at St. Martin de Porres Church, 136 Dixwell Avenue, New Haven, Ct. 06511. Interment immediately after the service at All Saints Cemetery, 700 Middletown Avenue, North Haven, Ct. 06473. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to: The Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation – 520 Upper Chesapeake Drive, Suite 405, Bel Air, Md. 21014 or online at www.uchfoundation.org. Gifts received in Denise’s memory will benefit patient and family care at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health for loved ones living with Sickle Cell and Kidney Disease.