Rachelle C. (Cognac) Geisenhainer, a longtime resident of Milford, NH, and Spring Hill, FL, passed away at Home Health & Hospice Care in Merrimack, NH, on Friday evening, October 14, 2011, after a short battle with cancer. The beloved wife of 33 years of Robert Geisenhainer, she was 66.

Mrs. Geisenhainer was born August 13, 1945, in Lowell, MA, a daughter of Willis H. and Gabrielle M. (Dalphond) Cognac. She was raised in Dracut, Mass., alongside four sisters and a brother.

She was an elementary school teacher prior to opening her first ceramics studio in 1976 in Lowell, MA. She also taught ceramics at studios on Milford, NH, and Spring Hill, FL, until 1998. She worked at the Frame Depot in Milford, NH, (2005-2006) and was a home health aide with Living at Home SeniorCare in Amherst, NH, from May 2008 until shortly before her death.

Mrs. Geisenhainer was a gifted artist whose talented hands crafted beautiful ceramics pieces and beloved knitted items. She also was an avid collector, a lover of animals, especially Bengal cats, which she bred for a short time, and this year was developing a knack for gardening.

Her greatest passion, however, was spending time with her children and grandchildren. Her warmth, generosity of spirit, kindness, selflessness, honesty and wonderful sense of humor will always be remembered.

She received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell (then University of Lowell).

Besides her husband, survivors include two sons and two daughters-in-law, Douglas A. Bolduc and Karin B. Holly of Germany; Christopher and Kimberly A. Bolduc of Amherst, NH; two grandchildren Zachary and Elaina Bolduc of Amherst, NH; her three sisters and one brother-in-law, Camille Cognac of Hudson, NY; Louise and Robert Henry of Spring Hill, FL; Anne Marie DeLuca of Spring Hill, FL; and brother and sister-in-law, Nelson and Joanna Cognac of Natick, MA.

A celebration of life will be held on from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, October 20, 2011, at the St. John Neumann Catholic Community, 708 Milford Rd. (Route 101A), Merrimack, NH.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612 or the Milford Community Athletics Association, P.O. Box 6255, Milford, NH 03055.