Geoffrey Crawford Hintze, 76, passed away Monday. Geoffrey was born in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Red Bank High School in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1963. He graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1967, then went on to obtain his first master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1969. He promptly went to work at NASA and was a Senior Software Engineer from June 1967 to December 2008. He developed flight software for manned/unmanned projects. In 1973 he returned to college, this time at Stanford University where he obtained a second master’s degree in Computer Science. Geoff retired after 41 years and seven months at NASA.
He had varied interests including membership in the Sons of Union Veterans, serving many years as their secretary. Geoff was also a Life Master in Contract Bridge and had become quite interested in Genealogical Research. He enjoyed cruising, especially on the various Queens, and was very interested in Virginia Tech Sports and Stanford Sports, attending as many of their games as he possibly could.
He was predeceased by his parents, Royal Raymond Henry Hintze and Helen McCanna Fees Hintze, and by his nephew, Herbert Roy Bertine. He is survived by his sister, Patricia Carol Bertine, and his niece, Amy Patricia Vendt and her husband, Kevin Howard Vendt; his cousins, Joanne (Leon) Kellerman, Richard and Mary Lou Thayer, Kendall (Judy) Thayer and their daughters, Emily and Kristin, Betsy Sampson, and her daughters, Meredith and Caroline (Kenneth) Mansfield, and Katy Thayer.
In his later years he has had a great deal of support and help from his close friend and regular contract bridge compatriot Ralph Boles.
Funeral arrangements are private.
