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George, whose family called him by his middle name “Doug,” married Cathy on October 18, 1986, in Valencia, California.
He joined the Glendale Fire Department in March 1986. In addition to his firefighting duties, he spent much of his career designing and fabricating parts to equip the firefighting apparatus, setting high standards for the department’s equipment.
He retired as a staff assistant from the department on December 3, 2013, and he and Cathy built their dream home in Bonners Ferry.
George was talented in so many ways. In his younger years, he built and raced his VW Bug the “Red Sled.” He was featured in various drag racing industry magazines, including Hot Rodding and VW Bug in the early 1980s.
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Fun-loving and adventurous, he and Cathy enjoyed traveling across the U.S. on road trips without reservations. He was just as comfortable in a five-star restaurant as he was snorkeling in Raratonga in the South Pacific. George was an avid dirt bike rider and rode thousands of miles through Baja and for many years took on the challenging Colorado 1000 dual-sport rides.
His love of the natural beauty in both areas prompted him to trade in his XR650 dual-sport motorcycle for a Polaris RZR side-by-side vehicle just so he could take Cathy on rides and show her all that he had seen. George’s absolute favorite vacations were spent with Cathy, her sister Peggy and her husband Bill, off-roading across the highest trails in and around Taylor Park, Colorado.
George was extremely honest, exceedingly generous, exceptionally hard-working, incredibly wise and tremendously humble. He was always more interested in hearing your stories than he was talking about himself. He turned clients into friends and friends into family. Most remarkable was his extraordinarily loving and selfless devotion to Cathy; he cherished her and always, always, always opened the door for her.
George once said that he was hesitant to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior because he thought that it meant he’d have to give up too much. Eventually, he realized that he had everything to gain, and he turned his life over to God.
He said it was the greatest decision he’d ever made.
During his firefighting career, George responded to countless calls, but the greatest call was from Jesus. The call for him to come home. A call he was willing and eager to answer.
George's wife Cathy posted on Facebook:
"Our prayers were answered for George's complete healing at 6:30 this morning when he passed peacefully from my arms into the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ.
"Though our marriage was always filled with love, these last months together were the sweetest. For five months, we fought very hard to save his life, but we also prepared for his possible death. And while my heart hurts over my loss, I'm truly heartbroken for all of you who knew him and had the privilege of calling him "friend." He will be missed, and you, like I, will grieve.
"George believed in Jesus. He was saved by Jesus. He had a personal relationship with Jesus. He served Jesus. He knew that because of Jesus, he would live eternally with God after death.
"'Then I heard a voice from heaven say, 'Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' 'Yes,' says the Spirit, 'They will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.' (Revelation 14:13)
"I am forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support we received from all of you who took time to read, react, and comment on this page as we posted updates on George's battle against cancer. He found such joy in reading your comments.
"George is at home, and he is at rest. For that we rejoice. All glory to God!
"Love in Christ, Cathy"
Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?' (John 11:25-26)