Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Gilbert Hartmann Lapiere (also recorded as LaPiere) |
| Born | 29 June 1923, Irvington, New Jersey, USA |
| Died | 7 February 2012, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA |
| Parents | Albert J. LaPiere; Tillie (Hartmann) LaPiere |
| Military service | U.S. Army Air Corps, World War II; B-24 bombardier; Western Pacific missions |
| Education | University of Missouri School of Mines at Rolla; degree in Petroleum Engineering |
| Occupations | Petroleum engineer; oil and gas evaluation; banking executive; industry consultant |
| Notable for | Adoptive father of Cher and Georganne during marriage to Georgia Holt |
| Spouses | Georgia Holt (m. 1961; divorced in mid-1960s); Beverly Lorraine Foster (later marriage) |
| Children and stepchildren | Cher (adopted), Georganne (adopted), Verna Bullock (reported biological daughter) |
| Later residence | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA |
From Irvington to the Western Pacific: Early Years and WWII
Gilbert Hartmann Lapiere’s story begins on 29 June 1923 in Irvington, New Jersey, in a home grounded by the steady hands of Albert and Tillie LaPiere. Like so many men of his generation, his early twenties were defined by war. He entered the U.S. Army Air Corps and trained as a B-24 bombardier, flying missions over the Western Pacific during World War II. The cockpit became his classroom; precision, discipline, and calm under pressure were not abstractions but the difference between survival and catastrophe.
By war’s end, he had logged missions across vast stretches of ocean and sky. Those years forged an engineer’s temperament: methodical when evaluating risk, swift when action was required, and always attentive to the instruments that guide sound judgment.
Engineering the Subsurface: Education and Oil & Gas Career
Returning stateside, Lapiere turned to the science beneath our feet. He enrolled at the University of Missouri School of Mines at Rolla and earned a degree in petroleum engineering. If bombardiering taught him to read gauges and grids aloft, engineering taught him to read rocks and reservoirs below—pressure curves, decline rates, pore volumes, and the economics of extraction.
He made a career at the intersection of geology and finance. In the 1950s and 1960s he worked as an evaluation engineer, then moved into banking roles dedicated to oil and gas lending and analysis. He managed oil and gas departments, served as a vice president in a bank’s energy division, and eventually transitioned into independent consulting. His work spanned technical evaluations of reserves, cash-flow forecasting for drilling programs, and risk assessments for institutional portfolios—where numbers were not just numbers but the heartbeat of wells, pipelines, and companies.
Career Snapshot
| Period | Role | Organization/Focus | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1943–1945 | Bombardier | U.S. Army Air Corps | Western Pacific missions |
| Late 1940s–1950s | Evaluation Engineer | Oil & gas operators | Reserve and economic analysis |
| 1960s | Department Manager | Investment/brokerage oil & gas unit | Energy financing and due diligence |
| 1970s | Vice President | Bank oil & gas division | Lending, risk, portfolio oversight |
| 1980s–2000s | Independent Consultant | Oil & gas | Technical and financial advisory |
He worked in cycles—booms and busts that mark the rhythm of the energy business. Through it all, colleagues knew him as a hybrid thinker: equally fluent in barrels and balance sheets.
Family Ties and Names: Marriage to Georgia Holt and Adoption
In the early 1960s, Lapiere married singer and actress Georgia Holt (born Jackie Jean Crouch). In 1961, during their marriage, he legally adopted her daughters—Cher (born Cheryl Sarkisian) and Georganne. For a time, both girls used the surname LaPiere, and Cher was publicly styled “Cheryl LaPiere.” The adoption left a durable imprint on the family’s nomenclature and narrative; names carry weather, and the LaPiere name became part of the family’s changing forecast.
Though the marriage ended in the mid-1960s, its impact is part of American pop culture’s family tree. Cher’s own children—Chaz Bono and Elijah Blue Allman—are often referenced in relation to this chapter, reminders that legal papers can shape the contours of kinship for generations.
Family at a Glance
| Relationship | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Father | Albert J. LaPiere | New Jersey roots |
| Mother | Tillie (Hartmann) LaPiere | Maternal line |
| Spouse (1961–mid-1960s) | Georgia Holt (Jackie Jean Crouch) | Marriage included adoption of her daughters |
| Adopted daughter | Cher (Cheryl Sarkisian) | Public figure; used “Cheryl LaPiere” during this period |
| Adopted daughter | Georganne LaPiere | Actress; born to Georgia Holt and John Southall |
| Later spouse | Beverly Lorraine Foster | Longtime later marriage |
| Biological daughter (reported) | Verna Bullock | Mentioned in regional family notices |
| Grandchildren via Cher | Chaz Bono; Elijah Blue Allman | Part of the extended LaPiere family by adoption ties |
Oklahoma Years and a Life in Full
Lapiere eventually anchored his life in Oklahoma City, where he continued consulting in oil and gas well into his later years. The geography fit: a place where hydrocarbons are woven into daily conversation, and where engineers, landmen, and bankers meet at the same lunch tables.
Friends recall professionalism without noise, a natural mentor’s inclination, and an appetite for clear analysis. He could translate a type curve into layperson’s language and make a lending committee see what a reservoir model implied five years out. His life’s arc—airman, engineer, executive, advisor—reads like a series of nested calculations, each informed by humility learned at altitude and precision honed in the field.
On 7 February 2012, at 88 years old, he died in Oklahoma City. The dates tell us how long; the stories tell us how deeply he lived.
Timeline
- 29 June 1923 — Born in Irvington, New Jersey.
- Early 1940s — Enlists in the U.S. Army Air Corps.
- 1943–1945 — Serves as a B-24 bombardier; Western Pacific missions in WWII.
- Late 1940s — Completes a petroleum engineering degree at the University of Missouri School of Mines (Rolla).
- 1950s — Works as an evaluation engineer in the oil and gas industry.
- 1961 — Marries Georgia Holt; adopts her daughters Cher and Georganne, who take the LaPiere surname.
- Mid-1960s — Marriage to Georgia ends; continues progressing in energy finance roles.
- 1970s — Serves as a bank vice president overseeing oil and gas lending/analysis.
- 1980s–2000s — Independent consultant in oil and gas; resides in Oklahoma City.
- 7 February 2012 — Dies in Oklahoma City at age 88.
What Made Him Distinct
- Translational expertise: He bridged technical reservoir analysis and financial decision-making, a rare fluency that made him valuable on both sides of the table.
- Wartime poise: Combat service refined a calm decisiveness that later defined his professional style.
- Family impact: His adoption of Cher and Georganne was more than a footnote; it shaped identities and family linkages that remain widely recognized.
FAQ
Who was Gilbert Hartmann Lapiere?
An American petroleum engineer, WWII bombardier, and energy banker/consultant, he is also known as the adoptive father of Cher and Georganne during his marriage to Georgia Holt.
When and where was he born?
He was born on 29 June 1923 in Irvington, New Jersey.
What did he do during World War II?
He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a B-24 bombardier, flying missions in the Western Pacific.
What did he study after the war?
He earned a petroleum engineering degree from the University of Missouri School of Mines at Rolla.
What industries did he work in?
Oil and gas engineering, energy lending and investment banking, and independent consulting.
Did he adopt Cher and Georganne?
Yes, during his 1961 marriage to Georgia Holt, he legally adopted both daughters, who used the LaPiere surname for a period.
Who were his spouses?
He married Georgia Holt in 1961 (divorced mid-1960s) and later married Beverly Lorraine Foster.
Did he have biological children?
A daughter, Verna Bullock, is reported as his biological child in regional family notices.
Where did he live later in life?
He lived in Oklahoma City, where he continued his oil and gas consulting work.
When did he die and how old was he?
He died on 7 February 2012 in Oklahoma City at age 88.
