Bishop '''Boris (Geeza) of Chicago''' ([[November 18]], 1923 - [[December 30]], 2000) was [[bishop]] of the [[Diocese of the Midwest (OCA)|Diocese of Chicago and the Midwest]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]]. He was one of the first Orthodox priests to service as [[chaplain]]s in the United States Armed Forces.

==Life==Boris was born in Portage, Pennsylvania to [[Archpriest]] Theodore Geeza and Mary Youshak. He graduated in 1945 from Columbia University and in 1946 from [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]]. Following his graduation, he was married to Helen Korba and served at Three Saints Church in Garfield, New Jersey as a teacher and director of the choir. (The couple eventually had one son, Boris G. Geeza, and one daughter, Helena Jakubovich.)

In 1947, Boris was [[ordination|ordained]] to the [[priest]]hood by Metropolitan [[Theophilus (Pashkovsky) of San Francisco|Theophilus]] and assigned as [[rector]] of St. Nicholas Church in Wierton, West Virginia. Six years later, he undertook the responsibility which formed the longest phase of his service when he was commissioned as a chaplain in the United States Navy. Eventually reaching the rank of Commander, he served in several assignments (including a tour of duty in Vietnam). In 1970, Metropolitan [[Ireney (Bekish) of New York|Ireney]] named Fr. Boris as the first Dean of Orthodox Military Chaplains for the OCA. The following year, he was awarded the Chaplain's Cross for meritorious service. However, the honor was tempered by tragedy: [[Presbytera|Matushka]] Mary died in the same year.

Fr. Boris retired from the chaplaincy in 1975. After undertaking postgraduate studies at St. Vladimir's Seminary, he was appointed Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral in San Francisco and Chancellor of the Diocese of the West.

In July 1978, he was named Bishop-elect of Manhattan, a new post created by the [[Holy Synod]] of Bishops to assist His Beatitude Metropolitan [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius]]. On [[September 16]] of the same year he was [[tonsure]]d into [[monasticism|monastic]] orders by Metropolitan Metr. Theodosius at Holy Trinity Church in Yonkers, New York and elevated to the rank of [[archimandrite]].

On [[November 11]], 1978, he was consecrated to the episcopacy by Metropolitan Metr. Theodosius, Archbishop Abp. John of Chicago, Bishop Bp. [[Kyrill|Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh]], Bishop Bp. [[Firmilian|Firmilian (Ocokoljich) of Midwestern America]] of the Serbian Orthodox Church; and Bishop Bp. Ireney, Vicar of the Moscow Patriarchate , at Chicago's historic Holy Trinity Cathedral. During his tenure as Bishop of Chicago, Bishop Bp. Boris organized diocesan departments, initiated publication of a diocesan newspaper, ''The Vigil'', and promulgated uniform [[parish]] bylaws. He also oversaw the establishment of several new missions and parishes throughout the Midwest Diocese, the largest in the Orthodox Church in America.

In November 1988, Bishop Boris retired from active ministry, but he still remained active in other aspects of Church life. He retired to Escondido, California, where he died in 2000. Bishop Boris was buried in Oceanside, California at Eternal Hills Cemetery.