The courtyard at Mathison Retirement Community has gained a graceful new feature: a bronze sculpture titled “Shoreline”, dedicated to the memory of longtime resident Carolyn “Carri” Vanderwilt-Geczy. The piece rests on a quartz pedestal with a plaque—simple, elegant and beach-loving, much like the woman it honors.
Carri’s husband of four decades, Steve Geczy (USAF, retired), hoped the sculpture would do one thing above all: spark joy. As the plaque reads, “I hope this sculpture brings a feeling of joy to anyone viewing it” – Steve Geczy, Carolyn’s husband.
Their story began with serendipity and a yes. “I’m Air Force retired, and she was a 40-year flight attendant retired. So, we just met one night in Aurora, Colorado, and hit it off from there. I asked the beautiful lady to marry me, and she said yes. Don’t know why she said yes to me, but she did. It worked out for 40 years, so, I got lucky,” Steve said. “It was 1984 when we met, and then we got married in 1985. And it was a wonderful 40 years.”
Life took them from Colorado to Panama City’s Bay Point in 1995, where Carri’s love for water found a home on sugar-white sand. Her favorite saying captured it best: “Life’s a beach, enjoy the waves.” The couple’s travels—England, Germany, Australia, the South Pacific—always seemed to arc back toward the sea. “I buried her in Kaua’i, Hawaii, it was our favorite island. We’ve been going there for 30 years every year.” Her interment rests in the Kauai Veterans Cemetery in Hanapepe, a quiet place where Steve returns with flowers and memories.
When dementia changed the shape of their days and future plans, Mathison became a steady harbor. Introduced by their nurse practitioner, Steve toured several communities before walking through Mathison’s doors. “And as soon as I went in there I felt very comfortable.” He adds, “I like the smallness of Mathison.”
Those first impressions held true. “It was just a wonderful place. It was nice to go in and visit, we had lunch together, and sometimes dinner.” The dining room felt like an ordinary joy—one of many that make up a life. Steve found ways to give back, contributing TVs for common rooms and an electronic bingo machine for activities. He noticed how staff cared for both of them with warmth and respect. “Everyone treated both of us well. And the facility, I like the facility. It’s small, it doesn’t feel like you’re in a hospital or institution. Just really homey. I felt that immediately walking in there.”
That sense of home is why “Shoreline” belongs here—where friends, care partners and neighbors knew Carri by name. “I wanted people, the staff mainly, and the residents to know how much she enjoyed being there, and give a little insight to the lady that she was.”
The sculpture’s plaque explains the heart behind the art: “This sculpture ‘Shoreline’ is intended to artistically represent her personality, soul, simple, elegant, love of ocean beaches, and the sea shells that are found there. One of Carri’s favorite sayings was, ‘Life’s a beach, enjoy the waves.’”
At the dedication on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, Hawaiian touches nodded to the islands that shaped the couple’s happiest traditions. Carri’s best friend, Diane Carr, flew in from Houston to stand with Steve as Mathison residents and team members gathered in the courtyard—an embrace of remembrance and celebration. She is pictured above in the main photo in the blue top, and in pink/white is Alicia Badger, who was instrumental in helping to put together the pedestal.
Carolyn “Carri” Vanderwilt-Geczy passed away on January 6, 2024, at age 75. She is remembered as a loving wife and a devoted Continental/United Airlines flight attendant for 40 years, the daughter of Albert and Helen VanderWilt, sister of William “Bill” VanderWilt, and sister to Dr. Robert “Bob” VanderWilt. She is survived by Steve, who still speaks of her with gratitude that sounds a lot like love. As he summed up, “Well, she lived there for four years; that was her home, so I thought that would be an appropriate place to put her memorial sculpture. She had a good time there while she was there.”
Now, “Shoreline’ carries that good time forward—catching the light, welcoming passersby, and reminding our community that love, like the tide, has a way of returning. And in honor of Carri, Steve himself returns often to the places they enjoyed together, and has plans to travel to other exotic shoreline destinations they dreamed of walking.
We invite families and friends to visit the courtyard at Mathison to see “Shoreline”, and to meet the team members and residents who make our community feel like home. And if you would like to make Mathison your home, give us a call and let's discover if Mathison is a fit for you and your family.