George L. Thomas

Written and Given by Mary Ann Fazio

Today we are bidding our farewell to Uncle George, who was our 2nd father. Uncle George graduated from the University of Denver in Restaurant Management after he completed several years in the World War II African and European Theaters. After the passing of his very cherished wife, Aunt Ida, he spoke a lot about his military experiences as a Sargeant. We noticed a continued sense of humor added to each war story. Philip truly enjoyed these theatrical stories, which brought to life for him the war reminding him of Mash, a favorite tv show and novel.

We all will remember our trips to Danville, California and our wonderful stays at Ida and George’s along with their loving, 5 star hospitality. I personally recall our trips to Lake Tahoe and to the tallest trees on Earth – the red woods. Besides being on business trips, Phil and I would extend our trips to join them. Also, they hosted us as a family of 4 and treated us the same as our parents because they were our parents. Uncle George showed himself to be a great man by treating Aunt Ida, his lovely wife, with immense respect and profound dedication. He placed Ida on a pedestal so high that no one else could hope to reach.

These last years post Ida’s passing brought Uncle George and I closer and closer. Grace, my mom, and George became inseparable. Uncle George ate regularly twice weekly at my house. He was invited to join us every night, including when we would dine out. I noticed how independent and intelligent this uncle was. Of course, he missed his lovely wife, but he carried on perfectly without her. I was personally amazed, since I thought that Ida truly “took care” of George. George and I worked together on everything. We worked like a team, and I might add a successful team achieving his needs and goals, for example, including the investing with Philip’s brilliant financial management advice added to our team, that made his assets increase over these years despite great current expenses. His intelligence was unmatched to me, while he read 2 newspapers daily. His analysis on this area and the world was exactly those views of Phil, my parents, and mine. He felt Obama was terrible for our country and that states’ pensions would place our country in financial problems sooner or later. His understanding of the economy was advanced and profound. Uncle George was one of the smartest people in my life!

When Uncle George broke his hip last year when my school year was finishing, I luckily placed him in an esteemed convalescent nursing home in Boca Raton that a few weeks earlier would not have accepted his insurance. Daily after work I visited him, made medical decisions along with him, and spoke daily in an almost tiresome situation with his nurses, who were trying daily to order an array of tests. They had him eating in a special dining room with special food made in a special kitchen. It was incredible to me. When I spent afternoons with him on the weekends and pushed him in his wheelchair outside among the beautiful gardens, we would talk, and he would look at me with such love in his eyes.

All our plans revolved around a doctor selected by Aunt Ida for decades of care for Uncle George with his special insurance policy. George refused to go to him without me! We both thought very poorly of this doctor; however, our plan, which involved this doctor’s approval, was that Uncle George would end up in hospice care. Aunt Ida’s hospice care was extraordinary, and it was our wish that at the end George would be pain free, and hospice would administer pain killers to make his end quick and pain free. We admitted him into hospice at Midnight, Friday night, and he passed the next morning following oxygen administration and then morphine. He passed painlessly in his sleep. Our plan worked successfully. Uncle George passed with constant medical attention around him in a pain free manner—less pain and in a quicker manner than if he been in his assistant living facility. My only regret is that my Dad could not have ended up in Hospice at the very end.

Yes, Uncle George, you are in my heart and in my memories. I loved you very much. Actually I adored you, Uncle George. Your ethical personality and gentlemanly mannerisms describe your family who raised you, your wonderful marriage, and the person you became. Please enjoy your infinite peace with Ida and your esteemed family in Heaven. My father will greet you with open arms.