Alvin Geser

Alvin Geser, 87, of Lawrenceville died March 23, 2014. He was born and raised in Baltimore and moved to New Jersey in 1961.

Mr. Geser was an executive officer of the New Jersey Pharmacists Association from 1961 until his retirement in 1994. He was a member of the Maryland Pharmacist Association.

During his professional career, he initiated various health-care legislative initiatives. Of special importance to him was the development of a proposal in 1965 by the pharmacy practice committee to reduce the number of children’s aspirin tablets to the non-lethal dosage of 36 per bottle as well as a safety closure to reduce the more than 300 annual children’s aspirin deaths. These proposals were forwarded to the FDA and became part of President Lyndon Johnson’s special health message, ultimately resulting in the reduction and in passage of a more comprehensive safety closure law.

He was a member of the Rutgers College of Pharmacy Advisory Committee and also served on the Dean’s Advisory Committee at Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science. The author of many published articles, he received the President’s Award of the American Society for Pharmacy Law in 1993. Also that year he served as honorary president of American Pharmaceutical Association and was a frequent speaker at colleges of pharmacy.

Get New Jersey Jewish News's Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

He graduated in 1950 from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and in 1957 from the university’s School of Law.

He served in the military during World War II.

He was a member of the Mercer Mental Health Association, serving as president, 1967-69. He was a member of the NJ Health Careers Council, serving terms as president and treasurer. He served on the board of the Austin Neighborhood Health Center and as its first president. He was active in Brothers of Israel Synagogue and the Trent Center Senior Housing board of directors as a member, vice president, and president. In Lawrence Township he served for several years on the Shade Tree Commission.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Sylvia Bolasky Geser; two sons, Louis and Harry; his daughter, Sarah; two daughters-in-law, Ilene and Terri; and four grandchildren.

Services were held March 26 with arrangements by Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel, Ewing. Memorial contributions may be made to Congregation Brothers of Israel or Hadassah.