Louis “John” George peacefully left this world on Nov. 10, 2023 after suffering multiple health issues for the past several years. He was a loving husband and father, and a proud grandfather whose wife (Jackie) preceded him in death in 2005. John is survived by his daughter Angela (TJ), sons Charles (Rosa) and David (Rose) and five grandchildren. He also has two surviving sisters, Jeannette Schoenbaum (Mark) of Minneapolis, MN and Grace Salazar (Fausto) of DeKalb, IL, and many nieces and nephews.
John was born in 1934 being the third of eight children born to Louis and Lavena George in DeKalb, IL. He grew up in that city completing all of his schooling there. After high school he was drafted into the U.S. Army for two years, spending the last year in Korea. Coming back to DeKalb he attended Northern Illinois University graduating in 1958.
John worked part time for Del Monte Corp. plant in DeKalb while going to college and then full time upon graduation. After spending a year in Rochelle, IL, he was transferred to the corporate headquarters in San Francisco where he worked until early retirement in 1988. Another 8 years was spent working for Golden Gate University also in San Francisco.
John was proud to be part of a team from Del Monte that helped establish the first commercially grown fresh pineapple operation in Costa Rica in 1980. It was successful beyond their wildest dreams. Costa Rica now is the largest producer of fresh pineapple in the world with a population smaller than the Bay Area’s.
John claims the best decision he ever made was to marry his wife, Jackie. The proof of this is the three wonderful children produced who were of great help in his declining years.
In looking back on his life, John concluded it must have been planned by God as with no planning he just experienced life as it happened and could not have planned it any better. Despite up’s and down’s, life was a great adventure.
A memorial mass will be celebrated in St. Cecilia Chapel at Queen of Heaven cemetery on Friday, January 26, 2024, at 10AM. Graveside services to follow the mass.
