The Lead.
Legacy of Lifelong Learning: Scholarship Fund Honors Parent Alumni from Marion Tech
Retired Marion Technical College (MTC) professor and alumnus Douglas (“Skip”) Grant Geib died at the age of 89 in December 2020, after a courageous battle against Alzheimer’s disease during the past several years. His wife, Virginia (“Ginny”), also a Marion Tech graduate, preceded him in death in April 2014. Both had a strong focus on learning throughout one’s life.
In honor of his parents and on behalf of the Geib family, their son, Douglas G. Geib II, has created the Douglas and Virginia Geib Scholarship Fund to provide financial assistance to students at MTC.
“My parents were proud graduates of Marion Technical College. Both of them pursued their formal education well into their forties. They were lifetime learners and were thankful there was a community asset like MTC. My parents always believed talent is in everyone, regardless of one’s background, and education is one of the keys that helps to unlock those talents.”
Doug was a retired Korean War veteran and also served in the Ohio Air National Guard for more than a decade. In 1969, after 20 years of military service, he was appointed head of data processing for Todco Door in Marion. He was among Marion Tech’s first students and in 1973, he graduated cum laude with an associate degree in accounting.
Beginning in 1978, he joined MTC as a community faculty member and in 1981 he became a full-time instructor of Business Technologies. He went on to obtain both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business Administration from Ashland University in the 1980s. In 1992, Geib was awarded the Marion Tech President’s Excellence Award for exemplary ability, outstanding service, and enthusiasm.
The college president at the time, Dr. J. Richard Bryson, said, “Doug is what all college professors should be. He is very dedicated to teaching and his ability to relate to students and help them learn has made him a favorite MTC Instructor.” At age 65, after almost 20 years with the college, Doug retired.
Virginia graduated from Marion Technical College in 1999 also with an associate degree in accounting. She was employed for many years at Campbell’s Supply and Swink Advertising. She was a dedicated parent volunteer for the Marion Cadets (and Jets) Drum and Bugle Corps and became the first female president of the Cadet’s Parent Organization. She led the effort to restore the Marion Cadet’s Drum Corps during 1975, with the initiative “The Cadets are Alive in 75”. She was an active member of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority and a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of the Page, Blake, and Geib families, Virginia devoted time to the collection of historical memorabilia and family genealogy, including visiting libraries and churches internationally with her husband. Family members continue this legacy in Virginia’s memory, as she touched the lives of so many during her lifetime.
The Geib Family invites the community, especially those who have fond memories of Doug and Virginia, to make a donation to the Douglas and Virginia Geib Scholarship Fund at the Marion Technical College Foundation. Scholarships will be awarded annually to a second-year student with a 3.0-grade point average and demonstrated financial need.
