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Some of my dad's personal accomplishments include:
Director in New York State Facilities Development Corporation (He was personally responsible for the design and implementation of a revolutionary leasing program for community based care facilities to replace the large and inhuman mental institutions of
New York State.)
He retired from this position after over 35 years service in New York State
government.
Real Estate Appraiser, New York State Conservation Department (He worked appraising and acquiring parts of what's now the Adirondack National Forest in
New York State.)
Berlin Mountain Fish and Game Club Preserve, past President.
Gourmet chef (He could even make croissants.)
Carpenter (He designed and completed major remodeling and minor repair projects. He once constructed a backyard rollercoaster out of wood and crafted me a wooden Browning Automatic Rifle for my 'playing guns' days.)
Auto mechanic (He once owned a classic maroon Lincoln with a tan convertible top that he restored himself. He sold it to a Lincoln Mercury dealer in Albany who then displayed it prominently at his dealership.)
Excellent dancer (You should've seen him and my mother float across the dance floor to the sounds of Duke Ellington at Holy Cross Parents weekend, 1973. Included is the WWII picture of him taken at a swing dance in a rest and relaxation facility near the front lines, 1944. See Home Sweet Home)
Natural athlete (Although he didn't have time for sports, when in high school, he and his friends played football against the local varsity football team and won.)
Organizer and President of a Men's Club in Boynton Beach, Florida.
Albany Elks member.
Albany University Club former member.
Education, from the
beginning, was a priority for his family.
The oldest of his four children, George
set the example by achieving a BA in English from The College of the Holy Cross and a PhD in English from The University of California at Berkley.
Number two child, Bill has a BA in Political Science from The College of the Holy Cross and an MBA from The State University of New York at Albany.
The third child, his daughter Pat has a BA in Art from Skidmore College.
Last but not least, his third son, Rick
achieved a BA in Business from The State University of New York at Albany and an
MEd in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts.
George's partner Philip has a PhD in Musicology. He has been considered part of our family following his visit for the Christmas holiday in 1976.
Pat's husband Chris, his son-in-law is an Orthopedic Surgeon. Rick's wife,
his daughter-in-law Tabitha has an MA in Learning Disabilities.
He has five grand children so far and they're all boys. In order of age: Will, Ben, Brian, Philip and Patrick.
His two younger brothers William and Andrew both served a full term in the United States Navy. They've been married as long as I can remember and the couples are affectionately referred to as Aunt Joan and Uncle Bill and Uncle 'A' and Aunt Ann Marie.
He also became a surrogate dad for the Glavin twins Bob and Bill. They both
had graduated from Georgetown University before the sudden and shocking death of their
own father.
I feel privileged to have been associated with him and I will always love and respect him very much. Having him as a father was like having James Garner, Frank Gifford, and Mel Gibson rolled into one. He was a real class act, a man's man. He had a sense of humor as subtle as a sledgehammer and he never seemed to miss a trick. Always aware, always there when needed, always the one with the answers. Not only did he give us his best, my dad gave this country much more than he ever received.
At an age when many young Americans are expanding their intellectual horizons in college, he, like so many others in our history, flourished on the fields of battle. Enlisting at 17, he continued to serve during the height of hostilities in the Italian and French campaigns of 1942 to 1945. He was assigned to Company F, Second Brigade of the 15th Battalion of the incredibly well decorated Third Infantry Division of The United States Army. That Division spearheaded the Allies' drive into Germany from the South of France. (At the end of this series are two maps and a summary of the Third Infantry Division's and 15th Batallion's histories. Please read them. They will help you better understand his participation in the war.)
Starting life without the proverbial 'silver spoon' in his mouth, George not only became an unsung American Military hero but also a genuine American Civilian hero, a self-made classic, an accomplished student of the American Dream. And though his life ended abruptly at the young age of sixty-eight, his spirit will kindle within us for many generations to come.
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