Dr. Douglas Geivett

Dr. R Douglas Geivett, Professor Emeritus in Philosophy, Brea, CA passed away on September 13, 2026, at the age of 67. An avid boating enthusiast, Doug lost his life doing something he

loved…Cruising in his boat north of Toronto Canada. Born February 8,1959 in Riverside, CA Doug grew up in Alta Loma, CA and in Guadalajara, Mexico. At seventeen, he moved to Portland, OR, where he attended Multnomah School of the Bible and finished his BS degree at Eastern Washington University. Following his first year at Dallas Theological Seminary he married Dianne Weitz on June 25,1983. While working on a second master’s degree in Philosophy at Gonzaga University, he also served as a minister to college students in Spokane and also in Southern California while working on his Ph. D in Philosophy at USC. In1989 Doug and Dianne welcomed their first daughter Kaitlyn into the world. A year later Doug defended his dissertation and accepted his first position teaching undergraduate philosophy at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. In 1993, second daughter Erin was born. A few months later Doug was hired by Biola University/Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California, to teach in the MA of Philosophy program where he mentored graduate students and chaired the department for a period of time. He retired in 2022. He was an influential author, speaker, and debater, and served as president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. He lectured widely in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the UK, Europe, China, India, S. Africa, and taught for Talbot’s extension school in the Ukraine. He also traveled to several countries in S. America, as well as Australia, and New Zealand. His interests included the philosophy of religion, philosophical theology, epistemology and the history of modern philosophy. He will be remembered as a caring professor who encouraged students to be “good at believing the things they believe.” Outside of his academic life Doug enjoyed travel, learning languages, researching his ancestors, kayaking, riding motorcycles, reading outside his discipline, and boating. He regularly visited extended family and friends during his travels. He was loved by many for his sense of humor, charisma, curiosity, desire for adventure and his ability to bring people together. He is survived by his wife, Dianne, daughters Kaitlyn and Erin, parents Howard Geivett and Dixie Smith, siblings Debbie Stout, Brenda Sandeno, Tim Smith, Stephanie England, Kimberly Larson, and Wendy Swoobena along with many other family and friends (including the Weitz family) who will sadly miss him. He was preceded in death by his brother, Donnie Geivett. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery Spokane, Washington.

The service will be:

October 26, 2026 at 2:00 PM

Fourth Memorial Church

2000 North Standard St.

Spokane, WA 99207

There will be live streaming of the service that can reached at the following link:

rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2