Hurley Funeral Home

Geisler, a 1971 graduate of Stewardson-Strasburg High School, will be inducted posthumously into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame in May. Diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer a few years ago, Giesler died of the disease Friday in Springfield. He was 65.“It’s a blow to you, but I felt like doing something because I have been blessed so much,” said Geisler during a telephone interview April 3. “I have a great family and I’ve had many opportunities to enjoy life. I wanted to do something for people, especially kids who haven’t had much time to experience life.”IBCA Recording Secretary Steve Allen presented Geisler with his induction plaque at his home April 5 with family and friends at his side.So far, Geisler and his family have raised $15,000, mostly though a golf tournament, and donated it to pancreatic cancer research. They have started a Facebook page, Get After Cancer’s Ass (GACA), where positive messages can be posted to lift the spirits of cancer patients with #MAKEADIFFERENCE. They have donated mittens and hats for treatments and teddy bears to children with cancer at the Jim and Trudy Maloof St. Jude Midwest Affiliate Clinic, which is located at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois at OSF-Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria.“I don’t feel sorry for myself because I’ve lived a long, blessed life,” Geisler said. “After visiting the children’s hospital, those are the people I feel sorry for because they’re so young and haven’t much time to live life. I wanted to do something for them. I wanted to do better for them.”The GACA slogan comes from a saying Giesler’s teams would shout before taking the court.“In the huddle, we used to say, ‘Get after their ass! That is what got us going,” he said. In 2013, Giesler was the head coach of 28-5 Illini Central, which capped its run to the Class 1A state tournament with a 55-44 victory over Madison in the championship game. It was the culmination of a process that saw Giesler and the Cougar... (Effingham Daily News)