George Hugh Covert

George Hugh Covert, Sr. was born in Austin, Texas on July 22, 1920 to Jennie Matthews Covert and Clarence Covert, Sr. He attended Pease Elementary, Allen Junior High and Austin High School. He attended the University of Texas from 1937 until 1940 when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. At the University of Texas he was a member of Kappa Alpha Fraternity order.

George graduated from flying school at Stockton Air Base in California on November 15, 1940 as a 2nd Lieutenant. He was kept there as an instructor in advanced training. He was on active duty as Officer of the Day on December 7, 1941; the day Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese.

He served as instructor for 1.5 years when he was called upon to start the Air Force Glider Training program. He spent 15 months training invasion troops to fly gliders and was stationed at Dalhart, Texas, 29 Palms, Victorville, California and was transferred to Twin Engine Training at Mather Field in Sacramento, California. He taught B25 Transitional and during this time was attached to MGM Studio's for the movie Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (the story of Doolittle's raid on Japan). He was the piolet that flew the B25 under the Golden Gate Bridge in the Movie. He returned to Mather Field and was sent to Airline Pilot Training School in Homestead, Florida where he learned to fly four-engine transport planes. He returned to Fairfield-Suisun Air Force Base in California where he served as Chief of test and special missions. George flew the line throughout the Pacific Theatre with C54 cargo planes, making special missions throughout the Pacific. He flew General MacArthur and his entourage into Japan at wars end and then was transferred to India to fly "The Hump" in the China-Burma-India Theatre. He returned to the States in December 1945 as a Captain and was discharged in January 1946.

George reentered law school, but after military service, he decided school was not for him, and became sales manager for Austin Motor Truck Co., the GMC truck dealer in Austin. He later became owner and sold the company in 1948 and purchased Jacksonville Industrial Iron Works and School Bus Manufacturing Co. They made the first all steel yellow school bus. He sold that company to move back to Austin as the Sales Manager of Covert Buick and became a partner in the dealership. Covert Buick became the number one Buick dealer in the U.S. in market penetration under his guidance as Sales Manager from 1954-1982 when he retired. He had started and owned Covert Insurance Co., CDG Leasing, C&G Covert Leasing Co. Inc., Front Row Entertainment, a cable TV company, Christie-George Designer Dress Manufacturing Co., and Austin Investors Association, one of the first venture capital groups in Austin.

George was a past President of the Austin Auto Dealers Association, Director of Texas Auto Dealers Association, and Senior Councilor of Kappa Alpha Order, past President of the Bachelors Club, Vice President of the Austin Assembly, and past member of the Texas Exes Student's Association, the Austin Country Club, Tarry House, The Headliners Club, Horseshoe Bay, and The Hills of Lakeway Clubs. He loved the game of golf and enjoyed playing with family and friends.

George was preceded in death by his parents and two older brothers, Dan M. Covert and Clarence Covert, Jr. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Helen C. Covert, and daughter Christie Covert Ingersoll and son-in-law Rudy L. Ingersoll, son George H. Covert, Jr. and daughter-in-law Laura Covert, son Clark A. Covert, son Keith M. Covert and daughter-in-law Debbie Covert; grandchildren Conley A. Covert, Cameron E. Covert, Caroline W. Covert, George Austin Covert, Jeremy K. Covert, Stefan R. Covert; great-grandchildren Madison E. Covert and Taylor A. Covert, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the staff at Westminster Manor for their loving and special care.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, 2015 at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 3201 Windsor Road. A private family burial will be held at Austin Memorial Park.

Memorials may be made to The Austin Community Foundation, P.O. Box 5159, Austin, TX 78763, The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, P.O. Box 5176, Austin, TX 78763 or the charity of your choice.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Rox B. Covert, Duke M. Covert, Danay C. Covert, Rudy L. Ingersoll, Dr. Frank M. Covert, John C. Watson and James W. Shipman, Jr.