George passed away with family by his side on Saturday December 28, 2019 in Surrey, BC at the age of 89. George is survived by Marguerite, his wife of 69 years, and children; Douglas (Karen) of Stony Plain, AB, Robert (Gail) of Wildwood, AB, Leslie and Beth both of Surrey, BC, Donna (Larry) of Saskatoon, SK, Denise (Wade) of Coquitlam, BC., nephew and ever willing traveling buddy Rob (Bev) of Bragg Creek, AB, and numerous beloved grandchildren, and great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. George was predeceased by his eldest son Lynn earlier this year.
George was born at Section 34, Township 8, Range 8, W3 of the Rural Municipality of Pinto Creek No. 75.
George enjoyed spending time with his large and extended family, dancing, golfing, curling and playing baseball. He possessed a great knack for telling stories and loved talking about the old days. An avid card player from an early age, he remained a formidable canasta opponent right to the very end.
Dad kept us entertained with some of his past times and creative inventions such as; homemade wooden spool tractor races, broom stick walk over (which he had his great grandkids doing this summer), riding the lawn chair he fastened onto a piece of plywood pulled behind our boat at Clearwater Lake. The homemade oil drum Pontoon boat with the big motor that we rode down Saskatchewan Landing he built with his friend Ted Tate, and the Ice Cream Bucket Ball rolling tournaments in the back yard of North Hill Drive, and many more.
George`s work life started by helping his dad move barns, farm buildings, and houses, and went on to own and operate an oilfield services business, later while based in Swift Current, he travelled throughout southern Saskatchewan working for NOWSCO and Southwest Pro Ag.
When George and Marguerite retired to the west coast, they enjoyed being on the water, fishing and watching grandkids play sports. For a while they managed a few apartment buildings in Victoria and eventually settled in Surrey, BC. For many years they were snow birds, wintering in Mesa Arizona, where their welcoming home, was the go-to-spot for cocktail hour. Dad was catcher for the men’s baseball team and was an active Bocce Ball player. For many years while living in BC, George would head back to Saskatchewan to assist with seeding and harvest on various family farms.
George was a generous donor to lotteries and casinos, whose bottom lines can attest. He would also go anywhere and help anybody when the need arose, coaching ball, building skating rinks, helping Lynn with his hotel. He never met a man he didn’t like and, more often than not, brought them home for dinner. One of Dad’s signature traits was whistling, and we could often locate him just by listening for his whistling song.
For many years, George and his son Lynn each grew a Red Lion Amaryllis at Christmas. Dad took great pleasure measuring his plant to see how much the stem had grown and comparing progress with how Lynn’s was doing. With both Dad and Lynn passing in 2019, the rest of the family plan to carry on the amaryllis growing competition/tradition. (Lynn won this year.)
As the last of his siblings, George became the hub of the family, greatly appreciating the regular weekly phone calls from his kids and many nieces and nephews. As often as he could, he returned to Saskatchewan and made a point to visit as many friends and family as he could.
Using dad’s favourite phrase, we’ll get this memorial “all flanged up” by toasting George with scotch, his favourite beverage and playing a game of canasta.
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