George Herbert Lewis

George was a student of life from a young age and he was dedicated to education, both his own and that of others. After spending most of his childhood on a dairy farm in Littleton, he spent his senior year of high school in Woodsville, NH where he graduated from Woodsville High School in 1953. It was then, during his senior year of high school, that he met Caroline (Trilly) Boyce from neighboring Wells River, VT. From then on, George & Trilly would be partners in life. They married on June 9, 1956 during George’s junior year at Dartmouth College.

George’s college years were most formative for the lifelong friendships he formed and for his stint on the Dartmouth Ski Team. He graduated with a bachelors in Geology in 1957 and immediately began working for a geophysical oil company as a field geologist. This first career choice led the newly married couple on a true American adventure as they moved “out west” for a period of three years – a time that saw them living in 7 different homes across 5 different States - and gain another crew of lifelong friends. By 1960, the couple had returned to NH where George pursued his Masters degree in Education from UNH and landed a teaching position at Berlin High School, where he began his destined career as an educator. In 1965, the young couple moved to Concord when George accepted a teaching position at Concord High School. They built a home on Dover Street in Concord where they would raise their family, establish an amazing community of neighbors, and live for the next 59 years.

George’s teaching career would ultimately lead him to administrative rolls – he spent a decade as the department head for teacher certification at the State of NH Department of Education and he was on the Board of Directors at Project Second Start during its inception in the early 1970’s. But his passion for working with students was his true calling – and by the mid 1980’s he returned to the classroom where he spent the remainder of his career as math teacher and department head at Gilford High School, retiring in 1997. Even after his retirement, he continued on as a substitute teacher in several communities, most notably at Bow High School where he enjoyed the ongoing interaction with the student population.

George was a longtime member of South Congregational Church where he truly enjoyed the community of local people who were like extended family members. He volunteered for Service Link and he was a Supervisor of the Checklist in Ward 8 in Concord. He was an avid skier into his 80’s and a voracious reader who never missed a daily crossword puzzle.

His passion for education and civic engagement was eclipsed only by his love for family and friends. Perhaps his fondest memories were spent at the family (and friend) camp in Lempster, NH. Known to all as Fort McPherson (or The Fort), George dedicated countless hours to making this such a special place for so many people from so many generations – it remains the greatest place on earth to so many of us.

George will be missed by so many, but his impact on this world will last forever. He is predeceased by his parents, Wilson and Marion, and his older sister Muriel. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Trilly, the families of his two sons, Jeffrey (Stephanie) of Concord, NH and Gregory (Phoebe) of Newburyport, MA, which collectively include 6 grandchildren, Jonathan, Jacob, Harper, Briar, Emersen and Nicholas, and 3 step-grandchildren Alyza, Keegan and James. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews who love him dearly. And, of course, by the countless other friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers, and former students who have all, assuredly, learned one or two things, or at least heard one or two stories, from this beloved man who was truly “one of the good guys.”

Calling hours will be held Thursday, October 3, 2024 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Bennett Funeral Home, 209 N Main St, Concord, NH. A funeral service will occur Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 11:00 AM at South Congregational Church, 27 Pleasant St., Concord, NH.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Second Start or to Mt. Eustis Ski Hill.