Geoffrey and Robin Knauth - The Story of How We Met

We met at our church in Cambridge, in May of 1995.
We both rose to ask prayer together –
He for his dying uncle, I for my nephew just born.
Afterwards I sought him out, thinking him new to the parish.
But he’d been there thirteen years to my seven -
He sitting towards the back on the left where colored sunlight filters down through stained glass,
I sitting towards the front on the right, closest to where the choir sings…

I recruited him for a hiking partner – for a “Presi-Traverse” in June of 9 peaks, 21 miles.
We’d been planning and training for months – a Divinity student and a couple of MIT geeks.
He was a Marathoner, U.S. National Rowing Team, and veteran of many Mt. Washington climbs.
We did it in 19 hours straight, through driving sleet and in the dark.  He was game.

Our second date was the July 4^th fireworks in Boston by canoe.
“Tell me the story of your life,” I said, and he did: 
Misfortune turned to strength and unconditional love.
I was head-over-heels.  I took up running.
“Train me for the Marathon,” I asked, and he did.
It was my stress-relief for Generals, and my excuse to know Geoffrey.
We ran it together in April 1996, Boston’s 100^th, in a blissful four hours.
We were married July 4^th weekend, 1996, on an Island in Wisconsin, and honeymooned by canoe.

Top 10 Characteristics of an Ideal Spouse

(or why I think G. Knauth is the best husband in the whole world, by R. Knauth)

10.  Appreciative Diner
       (no matter how bad it is, he’ll eat it and like it – no complaining)

9.   Good Cook
      (i.e. helpful and hard-working, willing to pitch in with whatever needs to be done)

8.   Good Driver
      (i.e. safe, responsible, trustworthy, reliable – no worrying necessary)

7.    Active and Involved
       (always doing something interesting – not a couch potato or TV Sports Junkie)

6.   Generous but Fiscally Responsible
      (never stingy, but not a high-roller, big spender or into status symbols either)

5.    Good Problem-Solver
       (handy with computers, tools, schedule-juggling… whatever needs doing)

4.   Good Communicator, Intelligent and Interesting to Talk To
      (great story-teller, interested in everything)

3.   Great Dad with Solid Value System
      (someone to trust and admire who can also make anything fun)

2.   Demonstrates Unconditional Love for Mother / Parents, Tolerant of Mistakes
      (treatment of parents is a good indication of future treatment of spouse…)

AND THE NUMBER 1 MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY OF THE IDEAL PARTNER:

1.  Thoughtful, Considerate and Caring!
     (just generally good natured and kind – you can’t beat that…)

A few more things that make Geoffrey such a remarkable person...

Flying:  Geoffrey is a private pilot, volunteering for the Civil Air Patrol here in Williamsport.
He learned to fly in Antigua, where he flew search and rescue missions while working for a Yacht Charter firm.  I think this is part of why he is such a great driver - maximum precision.
Rowing:  Geoffrey was a coxswain at Rumsey Hall, Choate, then for the Harvard Crew, and later for the U.S. National Rowing Team, competing at Nationals and then at the World Rowing Championships in 1989 and 1994 (?).  He has also been involved at Cambridge Boat Club, helping with the Head of the Charles Regatta, and is one of the organizers on the Board of the C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints World Indoor Rowing Championships.  He currently volunteers as a coach for the Lycoming Crew.
Translating:  Geoffrey is fluent in Russian, French and German, has traveled extensively.  In his various travels, Geoffrey has acted as a translator in various languages and in various capacities - a furniture exhibit in Moscow, a Swedish Dictionary project for Houghton Mifflin, helping out U.S. rowing coaches from Germany and Russia, cataloguing books in Chinese and other Asian languages at the Harvard Yenching Library...  Once Geoffrey was even instrumental in averting a war of sorts in Antigua.
Volunteering:  I've already said that he volunteers for CAP, Lyco Crew, HOTC and CRASH-B. 
He also volunteers his time as Treasurer of the Free Software Foundation, President of the Williamsport Area Computer Club, and for various things at the local church.  
In Cambridge Geoffrey also volunteered regularly to help with the Boston Marathon (which he has also run many times) and at Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (he has a most incredible reading voice).
More:  I keep discovering more incredible things that he's done, but among those I have found out so far, Geoffrey has been -  
A Master Chess Player (competing extensively in tournaments as a 14-year-old)
A Planetarium Lecturer for several summers at Mystic Seaport in Mystic CT
A Diplomat (as "Acting Vice Consul to France for Antigua," he once helped avert a war of sorts)
A First-Response, Crisis-Intervention guy (saving the lives of several people that I know of and probably more that I don't) using CPR, offering calm counsel, and helping motorists in distress...
A Pianist (his favorite piece is Joplin's "Solace")
A Movie Star (okay, he was an extra), playing a pirate in "The Island" while living in Antigua
An accomplished sailor (all kinds of boats, with all kinds of stories...)
An auto mechanic (or at least he worked at his brother's autobody shop as a teenager)
A truly great story-teller with truly great stories - all true (he really needs to write a book some day)
A Marathoner (at least 15 and counting...)
A game hiker, backpacker, skier, runner, canoeist and general 'happy camper'
Oh - and did I mention Master Chef and Wonder-Dad?