George Edward Nowack

Born on June 30, 1924 in Carinbrook, PA, George was a first generation American . He proudly served his country aboard the USS Ticonderoga, CV-14, in WWII. He was the President of the Big T Alumni Association at the christening of the USS Ticonderoga CG-47, which was the first Aegis combat system equipped ship in the U.S. Navy.

He moved to Raleigh in 1958. Using the skills he learned in the Navy in the development and operation of telecommunication systems, he was one of the handful of people who opened the ITT/Kellogg plant at Old Wake Forest and Six Forks Road. Hired by Mack Trucks in 1964 when it was building its world headquarters in Allentown, Pennsylvania, he managed the installation and then the operation of the telecommincations system- notably, at the time, the use of WATS lines to link the World Headquarters with all of the plants and most distributors. He was an innovator and early proponent of the use of microfilm and microfiche for storage of corporate records.

Retiring to Raleigh in 1990, "Uncle George" became a fixture at Our Lady Of Lourdes School where he read to the youngest children and helped countless older students to learn their multiplication tables. The Diocese of Raleigh recognized his influence on several generations of students by awarding him its Bishops Award.

He was a quintessential member of The Greatest Generation. He instilled in everyone the desire to do their best.

He was married to Florence for 43 years before her death in 1995. He is survived by his daughter Kathy Worm, her husband Steve and their son Thomas all of Raleigh and his son George, Jr.and his wife, Susan, of Atlanta and their children Lisa and Jason Salazer-Adams of Philadelphia and Will Nowack of Jackson, Wyoming, and by his caregiver and friend Diana Savage.

A special thanks to the incredibly caring nurses and staff at Duke Raleigh , 4th floor and to Wake County Hospice.

Funeral Mass was on Wednesday, December 5th at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Interment at Historic Oakwood Cemetery, with military honors.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Hospice of Wake County.