Geoffrey Clendinning Morell, JP, ND – Eulogy

We gather today to celebrate the remarkable life of Geoffrey Clendinning Morell, a man whose energy, resilience, and commitment to helping others left an indelible mark on all who knew him. Geoffrey passed away on December 3, 2024, in La Plata, Maryland, at the age of 98. His journey began on April 1, 1926, in Gisborne, New Zealand, and spanned continents, careers, and causes—always with a deep commitment to others and to the pursuit of knowledge.

Geoffrey’s early years in the small town of Opotiki were filled with the simple joys of nature and adventure. Whether canoeing, fishing, or riding in the sidecar of his father’s motorcycle, Geoffrey embraced life with enthusiasm and curiosity. Although the Great Depression halted his dreams of a university education, Geoffrey’s spirit remained undaunted. He left high school early to work on his grandfather’s farm, a place where horses still plowed the land and scythes gathered hay—a life that instilled in him a strong work ethic and deep connection to the earth.

Geoffrey’s service to his country began in the New Zealand Navy, and his life continued with a variety of professions that spoke to his diverse talents and commitment to his community. He worked as a policeman in Wellington and later operated a dairy farm in Ararimu, where he milked 100 cows twice a day for thirty years—a feat of stamina, dedication, and passion for the land.

In 1951, Geoffrey married Joyce Isabel Grimes, and together they raised five children: Glenda June, Sonia Joy, Jocelyn Anne, Bruce Clendinning, and Robyn Gay. His devotion to his family was matched only by his service to his community. Geoffrey was deeply involved in local politics, serving as an elected counselor for eighteen years. His unwavering advocacy for monetary reform led him to run for Parliament as a member of the Social Credit Party. In 1977, he was honored by being appointed a Justice of the Peace, a position he held with pride for over four decades.

Yet, it was in the late 1970s that a pivotal moment in Geoffrey’s life occurred—one that would transform both his personal path and his service to others. After attending a healing demonstration by renowned healer Colin Lambert, Geoffrey embraced meditation and developed his own healing method, the Clendinning Technique of Natural and Intuitive Healing. His journey into naturopathy and holistic health brought him into contact with hundreds of clients, whom he helped with remarkable results. Geoffrey’s belief in the power of transformation was central to his healing philosophy, always encouraging people to change their mindset and their lifestyle to improve their well-being.

In the late 1980s, Geoffrey and his family moved to the Gold Coast of Australia, where he operated a health clinic before embarking on a new adventure—opal mining in the remote community of Lightning Ridge, further demonstrating his eagerness to explore all kinds of exciting opportunities.

Geoffrey’s life would take yet another turn when he met Sally Fallon during a trip to the United States in 1996. Together, they founded the Weston A. Price Foundation for Wise Traditions in Food, Farming, and the Healing Arts, and Geoffrey’s healing methods became intertwined with Sally’s advocacy for nutrient-dense food. In 2003, they married and continued their shared mission, traveling the world and promoting holistic health and sustainable practices.

In 2009, Geoffrey and Sally purchased a farm in Aquasco, Maryland, where they established a dairy to produce raw artisan cheese and raise pastured poultry and pork. Geoffrey’s ingenuity in designing a milking parlor that was admired by others in the industry was just one example of his unceasing creativity. He was still working on his tractor, clearing land and creating productive spaces from impenetrable brush, just six months before his passing.

As a 33-degree mason, Geoffrey’s commitment to service and brotherhood extended into his involvement with Masonic lodges both in Australia and the United States. He served as master of Collarenebri Lodge in Australia and later, as master of East-Gate Lodge in Washington, DC. His Masonic work exemplified his deep belief in helping others and his lifelong dedication to service.

Geoffrey’s legacy is one of perpetual positivity, unshakable faith, and boundless generosity. He always reminded us, “Everything is in its right place,” and this outlook on life guided him through every challenge and triumph. He lived life on his own terms, always with the goal of improving the lives of others—whether through his healing work, his farming efforts, or his contributions to his community. Geoffrey’s warmth, humor, and energy were a source of inspiration to all who knew him.

He is survived by his wife Sally, four children, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren, all of whom carry forward his legacy of kindness, resilience, and unwavering commitment to others.

Geoffrey’s life reminds us that one person, through determination, compassion, and a deep love for the world around them, can truly make a difference. As we remember Geoffrey today, we celebrate the fullness of his life—the lessons he imparted, the lives he touched, and the love he so generously gave. He was, and always will be, an inspiration to us all.

Stories About Geoffrey from…

SALLY

Ever since we met, Geoffrey and I worked together on health issues.  He especially supported me in my efforts to have raw milk legalized (even though he never drank milk!), I think because it involved political work, which he was naturally drawn to.  Way back in the early 2000s, we made a presentation to the Maryland Department of Health on why they should allow herd share agreements so that the people of Maryland would have access to raw milk.  The department turned around and adopted a regulation that would make herd shares illegal.

 But soon after we had built our milking parlor, Geoffrey was standing in the milk room.  He pointed to the empty corner and said, “We will be selling raw milk within a few years.”

 And sure enough, about five years later, through the help of a friend who got me a meeting with people in the governor’s office, we were able to obtain a permit to sell raw milk labeled “for Dogs and Cats,” the first in the state of Maryland.  We set the chiller up in the corner that Geoffrey had pointed to.

 Another memorable incident:  As many of you know, Geoffrey was a great dowser, he could find water, but he also found what he called magnetic spots on the earth.  He found four on our farm, for example. There’s a powerful energy spot in the doorway of the National Cathedral, and another in the middle of the Building Museum, across the street from where we lived in Washington, DC 

 One day we were driving on Martha’s Vineyard and he said “Stop the car, we need to go into this church.”  It was an historic church, dating from the 1600s, very plain, a Puritan church building.  Over the altar was a kind of hollow cone, the interior of the steeple.  Geoffrey found a very strong magnetic spot right under the cone and over the altar.  So try as they may, the good Puritans had not shaken off the vestiges of paganism, but had managed to construct a church in such a way that it magnified the local magnetic spot!  It was always interesting to travel with Geoffrey!

INA RUSSELL

I met Geoffrey when I was attending a class at ISD. Then I began attending his classes, which helped me connect more deeply with myself and others. His teachings highlighted the significance of approaching each day with gratitude and a commitment to providing healing. I realized then he was a gifted healer.

His wisdom taught me the importance of healing others. His words on forgiveness open my heart further, allowing me to see others through the lens of compassion and unconditional love.

Through his guidance, I learned to meditate, release negativity, focus on the present moment, and bring a sense of peacefulness and purpose into my life.

Geoffrey’s classes were more than just lessons; they were transformative experiences that illuminated the path to inner peace and self-discovery. Each session was a revelation, filled with moments of clarity and insight. I remember the day Jeffrey spoke about the power of healing. It was then that I began to grasp the true essence of providing healing to others.

I saw in him how he radiated and interacted as he provided healing, knowledge, compassion, and always ready to lend an ear or a hand to those in need. His dedication to his practice was apparent in the way he was able to provide medical healing and ensured everyone felt appreciated.

His gifts will always resonate deeply with all who crossed his path, leaving an impression on their hearts.

His spirit will forever be a guiding light, inspiring us to live with purpose, to love without boundaries, and to heal with every fiber of our being.

Geoffrey thank you for your amazing, beautiful light and showing us your unconditional love for us. I love you, Geoffrey!

DYLAN WORT

I really enjoyed talking to Geoffrey over the years and hearing the advice and opinions he would share with me. 

There are a lot of things that I’ve learned from Geoffrey that I use to this day, and he has impacted my own life in a positive way. My favorite lesson from him has always been to create goals for myself and take action towards them every day. Everything he said would have a positive note or moral at the end of the story.

AMY MCCURDY

I have so many wonderful memories of Geoffrey, it’s difficult to pick just one. Like the time he stood in as honorary grandfather for “Grandparent’s Day” at the boys’ school. After delighting the students with his age and his accent while introducing himself, he then went to sit in the teacher’s chair, at the teacher’s desk, and promptly fell asleep. Many of you here are probably familiar with Geoffrey’s famous golf cart tours of the farm – which I affectionately called, “Mr. Geoffrey’s Wild Ride,” advising riders to hang on tight.

One thing I always appreciated about Geoffrey was how he took the time to visit the farm store, to check on us and see how we were doing, how business was going, how’s our love life, etc. He really cared about everyone. I’m grateful to have been a part of his life.

BEVERLY RUBIK

I especially remember fondly our time together at the WAPF meeting in London perhaps 10 years ago.  At that time he told me that I was deficient in magnesium, and I was!  When I started consuming more magnesium, my heart palpitations went away.  How did Geoffrey know such things intuitively?  I think he had a close connection with the Divine.

 STEFAN LIPA friend from the UK

I met Geoffrey in the early 1970s while we were both involved in the Social Credit (Monetary Reform) Party in New Zealand. I suppose I was about 21 or 22 and Geoffrey would have been in his mid-forties. We hit it off immediately, in that neither of us necessarily accepted the spin in the world (or the Party) at face value. We often discussed what lay behind many stories.

 In the Party we would often agree on issues; the main difference was that I tried to be diplomatic whereas Geoffrey called it exactly as he saw it. You can imagine the reaction, particularly from the politicians with their egos, and their self-perception of always being right.

 In our work in the early 1970s, we really annoyed the Party establishment by working together on the Party’s constitution committee. We fought for what we believed; helped to change the party’s constitution, and our efforts were partly responsible for equipping it to become politically successful in the late 1970s and the 1980s. My most prominent memory in this context, was a meeting of the committee one Sunday afternoon where a much-respected former leader was dispatched to sort us out. Geoffrey was chair of the committee. I can tell you that the sending in of a heavyweight was a bad mistake on the part of the Party establishment!

George & Maureen Diaz

Geoffrey was, indeed, inspiring. I loved how he loved his wife, the example of which always made me smile, and I’m sure others as well. He was never dull, always full of life, enjoying the farm, the WAPF people, and making others smile. We are fortunate to have known him!

Dr. Terry McGuire

What a fascinating and highly intelligent mind! A kind man who always had time for others.

Martina Washington

My sister and I started to see Geoffrey about 2 years ago. He was a very sweet, kind, compassionate, caring and humble man. We enjoyed listening to his stories and life adventures. He was a phenomenal healer, he was the first person to detect my sister had heart cancer. He didn´t want to call it cancer but he did bring awareness to it. We always had a pleasure going to see him. He will be truly missed.

Dr Alison Parker

Geoffry made me laugh when he said I need to get a boyfriend and that I should go on a dating app. I will really miss him

Toni Reid

In December 2016 I was putting the final touches to the history book for the Ararimu district, written to celebrate the 150th anniversary of settlement taking place in mid-January. It was almost complete after a year of work and printing would take place in a few weeks. But then I looked on my website and found, in the comments section, pages of writing from Geoffrey, full of amazing stories of early Ararimu. I knew this had to be included, so there was a last-minute rush to get it edited and send someone to get a photo of Geoffrey´s old home.

I asked Geoffrey what had prompted the last-minute contribution, apparently, he woke up at 4 a.m. (in Maryland, USA) and something told him he had to get out of bed and go on the computer to check if anything was available on Safari about the Ararimu 150th Anniversary. Finding the page, he set to work sharing his recollections and I´ll always be grateful that he did.

Later in 2017 during one of his trips back to NZ he visited me at home and I recall him sitting at my kitchen table reminding me of the importance of goal setting. (Something I´m not so good at!) He also told me about working on his farm in Maryland, milking the cows and cheesemaking. Then he was off to Hamilton to help others heal by providing tuition in the Clendinning Technique. As he left, striding out to his rental car, I wondered ‘where does a person in their 90s get all this energy from’ ?

Moe mai ra Geoffrey.  You were one of a kind.