Damian Geminder, 33, writer and activist guided by his faith

Damian Geminder did not waste his short life as he followed his faith and wrote anti-abortion articles read around the world, family and friends said.

The Catholic religion writer and activist quietly dispensed his brand of kindness, especially to society’s vulnerable, those who knew him said.

“He never met anyone he couldn’t get along with,” said his father, Randolph Geminder, the rector at St. Mary’s Church in Amityville.

Damian Geminder, of Amityville, died April 20 of a heart attack. He was 33.

“He had a way of seeking out people that other people wouldn’t want to bother with and made them feel loved and valued,” his father said.

When he learned a parishioner in his church was too sad to get a Christmas tree, he left a small, live tree with a card on her doorstep. To support those who chose to have babies instead of abortion, he launched supply drives and gave out baby bottles to be filled with coins.

As editor and public education director at the national nonprofit Feminists for Life, Geminder gained a wide audience organizing speaking events and blogging on a range of issues. He wrote about minors forced to marry adults in this country and why men should be feminists. When singer Britney Spears revealed that her conservatorship controlled whether she could have babies, he tweeted: “This is mortifying. We have long spoken out against coerced sterilization of Uyghurs in China, but to hear of this in our own country is deeply upsetting.”

One of his priorities was raising the next generation of anti-abortion leaders, his father said, prompting him to visit colleges to recruit and organize educational events.

“If I had three words to describe him, it’s brilliant, hilarious and kind,” said Feminists for Life president Serrin Foster, who hired Geminder in 2016.   

As word of his death spread, tributes from around the country and world came from those who befriended him on social media or met him at religious and anti-abortion events. “He was never too busy to brighten one’s day and provide a big smile,” one tweeted.

Geminder studied journalism and graduated magna cum laude from Adelphi University in 2011. He got his master’s degree in 2015 from Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.

He was proud to be called a feminist and grew up surrounded by that theme, his family said. His older sister, Jessica, guided his education on the topic. The church rectory where the family lived used to be the home of Naomi Griffiths, the first president of the Amityville Suffrage Club.

A fan of posting on social media, Geminder described himself on Facebook as “Token Male in Residence at Feminists for Life. Crazy cat lady. World’s Greatest Dad 0 Years running.”

He would surprise Etsy artisans, gift shops and other small businesses by posting photos and reviews.

“He has brought a lot of people himself to my establishment,” said Gina Wuestmann, owner of North Village Tavern in Rockville Centre. “He was just that guy who was like ‘I’m going to help boost your business,’ ‘I’m going to put you on Instagram,’ ‘I’m going to advertise this.’ He was always thinking of how to help people.”

Parishioners at St. Mary's Church, where Geminder was lead choir singer, marveled at one of his skills: baby whisperer. At times, mothers needing help surrounded him, his father said.

No matter how hard a parent's child was screaming, “they’d go over to Damian, put the baby in his arms and the baby would immediately smile at him and go to sleep,” Randolph Geminder said.

Besides his father, Damian Geminder is survived by his mother, Donna, of Amityville, and his sister, Jessica Train, of Poughkeepsie. 

A Mass was celebrated April 24 at St. Mary’s Church, followed by a private burial. Donations may be made to St. Mary's Church Memorial Fund and Feminists for Life.