Q: Where do you hail from?
A: Murray City, Ohio 1919. I attended Cleveland High School, in Ohio where I was class Vice President and a varsity wrestler for 3 years, and in 1937 I won the state title. George graduated from Ohio State University in 1942 and went right into the military.
Q: What was your former profession?
Following my Military career, I started my first teaching job at Bedford High School in Ohio, where I started a new wrestling program. As a coach I led the State of Ohio Championship Team for 4 years and was a two-time Ohio High School Wrestling Champion. I retired as a Business Education teacher of Thirty-five years at Bedford High School, and a wrestling coach for 16 years.
Q: What inspired you or led you to that career.
A: Well, I’ve always been interested in people, you follow me? I figure that’s an excellent way to get to be around people.
Q: Who is the most interesting person that you’ve met?
A: The two most interesting people that I met in my career were the two people that dropped the atomic bomb in 1945. Colonel Tibbets and Captain Charles Sweeney, I knew both of them. I was at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida doing active duty, Captain Sweeney was a good buddy of mine, he was from Boston and Tibbets was from Columbus, Ohio. While there, Colonel Tibbets came down doing some recruiting and he took Sweeney with him.
Tibbets dropped the first bomb and 3 days later Sweeney dropped the second bomb. Eventually they transferred me to Okinawa.
Q: What is something interesting that no-one knows about you?
A: When I went to Officers candidate school in Miami Beach, I was a flight leader and the flight leader scheduled right next to me was Clark Gable! I got to be good friends with him. He lined his troops up right next to mine. He was going through Officer candidate school just like me, we were commissioned together, isn’t that crazy? Clark Gable was an Ohio Boy, small town in Ohio, and a good guy! That was my beginning as an officer, from there I went to Eglin field. I got appointed and stayed there for 4 years.
Q: What’s the happiest memory you’ve had?
A: Oh boy, so many. I started a new wrestling program at Bedford High School in Ohio. As the wrestling coach I led team for 4 years and was a two-time Ohio High School wrestling champion!
Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A: Be very active and be very much involved. One thing is activity. You can’t sit down, believe me, worst thing you could do, keep going.
Q: Do you have anything on your bucket list or have you done it all?
A: I think I’ve done it all! I’ve had a good life, a pretty full career, and 4 great kids, 5 Grandchildren and 7 Great Grandchildren.
Q: How long have you lived in Naples?
A: I’ve been down here 25 years, and 75 years in Ohio.
Q: So why did you choose Naples, FL after 75 years?
A: Friends of mine from Columbus had a condominium at the Glades CC in Naples, and suggested I go down and see it. I liked it, bought a condo, that was Twenty-five years ago, and I’ve been here ever since.
Q: What is what is something you would want the person reading this to know about Naples?
A: It is a great retirement area weather wise, and for an elderly person coming from the north, it’s a tremendous boost to be outside, it’s easy to be active. I think being in Florida adds to longevity. If I stayed in Ohio, I’d never make it. I’m going to be 101 September 11, 2019
Q: I have to ask the question everyone is waiting for: What is your secret because you sure don’t look 100!
A: People can’t believe my age. I can’t believe it! My most asked question, are you still driving? Yes, I’m a good driver, no accidents, no tickets, I say I have to be pretty lucky. I think being active in life in very important. Golf? Oh yeah, 4 days a week, until a year ago, it gets too hot in the summertime. Do you drink? No drinking, no smoking. I go to Church on Sundays, and I’m a firm believer in Religion. Living a good clean healthy life, being active, and a little bit of luck too, having gone through two wars.
