Geoffrey Miles Kerbel

Geoffrey Miles Kerbel, resident of Phoenix, AZ, passed away peacefully in his sleep on August 7, 2018 at the age of 69 while attending the National Association of Rocketry Annual Meet in Pueblo, CO. Geoffrey is survived by his son Bryan Seth Kerbel, daughter Adrienne Nicole Cates (Clint Cates), granddaughter Cassidy Nicole Cates and sister Andrea Goldstein (Gerald Goldstein). Geoffrey was born in New York on July 22, 1949 to Jesse & Beatrice Kerbel. He graduated from the Academy of Aeronautics in New York. He was employed for 6 years by Jaros, Baum and Bolles an engineering firm in New York City where he worked on the construction of the World Trade Center from 1970 to 1972. In 1978 he moved to Phoenix, AZ with his family where he began his next career with Garrett/Allied Signal/Honeywell working for 32 years before retiring. Geoffrey was a Senior Gear Grind Specialist and later moved on to become the Building Safety Manager. He was a member of the Arizona Drag Racing Association (ADRA) and the Wild Horse Pass Team Summit. Geoffrey's primary race car was his black 1970 Plymouth GTX (Good Times Express) and known as Mr. Charger. He also raced his green 1971 Coronet Station ...[more]

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on "The Grocery Getter From Hell". Among the MANY awards and recognitions the most prestigious he received was The Wally in 2001 and 2002. Another passion of his was rocketry, he achieved his Level 3 certification with the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) and was a model rocket competitor. He was in the NAR C Division top 10 in 2013 - 2014. As a member of his local club, Superstition Spacemodeling Society (SSS), he was a key contributor to SSS winning 6 consecutive NAR club championships. Geoffrey's creativity did not stop there, he also built and raced slot cars. His idea of retirement was drag racing, launching rockets and building/racing slot cars. He spent countless hours working with schools throughout the state, and also youth organizations, introducing real Rocket Science. Geoffrey was known for his quick sense of humor and creativity. He brought joy to so many and will be deeply missed by his family, his local community and also friends throughout the country in his various organizations. As his business card reads we hope he is truly "Where Imaginations Soar"! A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, August 25, 2018 1:00pm at Hansen Desert Hills Chapel 6500 E Bell Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85254. Rocket launch and reception to follow.