Rami Oscar Geller

Born in Warsaw, Poland, to holocaust survivors, Rami was two years old when his family immigrated to Israel. They settled in Bat Yam where Rami forged friendships that would last his lifetime. Rami served and became an officer in the Israel Defense Forces. After completing a graphic design course in Holon, he graduated from the Technion in Civil Engineering where he met his future wife, an American from Berkeley, California. They married in Denmark, en-route to the US, settling in Berkeley where they raised their family of three daughters.

Soon after arriving in Berkeley, Rami and a partner founded California Model and Design, Inc. in San Francisco. There Rami served clients in architecture and industrial design for almost 40 years, enjoying the collaborative process of bringing the designers’ vision to physical form.  In addition, Rami developed a whimsical line of “shadow magnets”, magnetic articulating silhouettes. Everyone, from children to dancers, delighted in animating the magnets into infinite poses. He founded Elements2, the company that sells shadow magnets to museums and specialty stores around the world. His love of coffee led him to a partnership that established “Yali’s at Stanley”, a successful cafe on the UC Berkeley Campus.

Rami lived his life engaged in the things that mattered to him and what he enjoyed. He was devoted to his family and friends, near and far, of all generations. He never missed an opportunity to travel, especially if it involved going with, or visiting, friends, and saw much of the world.  Rami frequently traveled to Israel, and maintained strong connections with family, friends, and the Tel Aviv culture, cafes, and neighborhoods that he deeply loved and were a foundational part of his identity.

Rami was tragically struck by an aggressive cancer that took his life after only three months of illness. This happened just as one of his greatest wishes was realized, the return of his daughters and their families to live nearby in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rami died in his home, in Berkeley, surrounded by his beloved family. Rami is survived by his wife, brother, three daughters and two beautiful grandchildren. The loving community of family and friends, worldwide, that Rami built over his lifetime, mourns his passing.

Donations to honor Rami’s memory may be made to NIAD, (Nurturing Independence through Artistic Development), https://niadart.org/ramis-fountain/, in Richmond, California.