George Clark Bush

George Clark Bush was born on Oct. 18, 1930 in St. Catharines, Ontario. His father, Howard Bush, was a gifted craftsman and a veteran of World War I; his mother Bertha (Clark) Bush was a high school Chemistry teacher. George was an only child. He grew up attending church and was baptized in his early teens. Gifted in math he went to McMaster University, working in the summers for an insurance company in Kingston, Ontario. There he got involved with the Christian Youth Centre, through interactions there he came to realize that he was not a Christian. In the summer of 1954, he was converted to become a follower of Jesus, his Lord and Saviour.

During his high school years, he tried to teach his mother to drive a standard automobile. At the end of that experience his mother told him: “don’t become a teacher.”

He attended MIT in Boston from 1954-1956, completing his Master’s degree. But more importantly he connected with other Christians who encouraged his excitement for studying the Bible. Some of these became lifelong friends. At MIT George discovered he had the ability to lead Bible studies, a form of teaching, and in leading math tutorials, another form of teaching. He always saw his ability to teach as a gift of the Holy Spirit in his life.

Due to his mother’s failing health, George returned to Canada, and attended Queen’s University, Kingston, for his Ph.D. in math. That first fall at Queen’s, 1958, he met Emmeline Loewen and for George it was love at first sight. They were married in 1960. Peter was born in 1962 and Robert in 1966.

In 1964, George attended the Urbana Missionary Conference, and heard the call of God to be a missionary. At first it looked like it would be to India, but suddenly in 1966 the mission board decided on Beirut, Lebanon. After some language study, George taught at the Beirut College for Women until 1971. During that time he built connections with the pastor of the Lebanese church that met downstairs in the apartment building where the family lived. As well, George nurtured connections between various student ministries in Beirut, helping one-time opponents work together.

Following two years in Kingston, George and the family moved to Shiraz, Iran from 1973-1976, where he taught at Pahlavi University. In Shiraz the family became involved in a congregation of ex-pats from Europe and North America and were hosted by the Anglican Church of Iran. In that congregation George shared in the preaching and the leadership. A morning prayer meeting was hosted in the family home. With other Christian colleagues at the university, he brought together Iranian faculty colleagues and Iranian Christians for conversation.

Returning to Canada in 1976, George taught at Acadia University for two years. He took the brave step at the age of 47 to begin retraining in the area of computer science. He took some courses at Acadia, and then in 1978 he got a job at the University College of Cape Breton (now Cape Breton University) teaching math and computer science, on the condition that he upgrade in the program offered at Clarkson College in New York State. George spent 10 years in Sydney, essentially creating the computer science program at UCCB. He also sought to nurture relationships with faculty and to instigate some student Bible Studies.

In 1988 at the age of 58, George and Emmeline moved to Ankara, Turkey, where George taught computer science at the Middle East Technical University (METU). He was uniquely fit for doing this, fulfilling his mother’s prayer that her son would be given something to do by God that no one else could do. In Ankara he became involved in the creation of the International Protestant Church of Ankara. Drawing ex-pats from Europe and North America, staff from various embassies, Palestinian students, and Kurdish refugees. Among other things George’s involvement in the leadership of the church included being part of the process leading to the official government recognition of the church. George was also part of group who showed the Jesus film on the METU campus.

Returning to Canada in 1993, George and Emmeline moved to Halifax. In Halifax they became involved with Pray for Halifax, and also, with a mission festival which went by the name Jesus to the Nations. As George moved into his 80’s he had fewer opportunities to preach on Sundays, but he continued to have connections with Arabic speaking people and Iranians in Halifax. During their time in Halifax, George and Emmeline became grandparents four times over.

George is survived by his wife Emmeline; children Rob (Janice) and Peter (Debbie); grandchildren Madeleine, Noah, Emma (Hamza), and Nathan (Becca).

From one of George’s favorite hymns, lines that express his mission in life:

Channels only, blessed Master, But with all Thy wondrous pow’r

Flowing through us, Thou canst use us Every day and every hour.

The Funeral for George C Bush will take place at 2 pm on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023 at Grace Chapel, 255 Ross St. Halifax, NS