Funeral Mass Monday, November 23, 10:30 AM
My dear sweet dad slipped away to Heaven tonight. I've feared this day my entire adult life not only because I will miss him terribly, but also because I was afraid I would fall short of relaying what an outstanding person he was. For those who know him, you understand what I mean.
To know my dad is to recognize despite the hardships In his life, he always chose his faith over fear and selfless love over all. He fearlessly served our country in WWII, endured the loss of two of his six children and tirelessly cared for and advocated for his beloved special needs son, Peter. For the betterment of Pete's life, dad moved away from his tropical retirement home in Florida to frozen Minnesota at age 86 (in the middle of Winter, mind you). I don't think Dad could pass peacefully until he knew Pete would be in good hands. I assure you Dad, I got this, along with Tim and the village of wonderful people from Opportunity Partners.
Dad absolutely adored his grandchildren and relished seeing them grow and develop into the beautiful people they are, inside and out. They were in lockstep with him throughout his painful journey with pancreatic cancer in person, on Zoom, FaceTime and any which way they could during the pandemic. Their love and prayers, along with the home care his wife Marlene provided, lifted him up.
Dad's selfless love showed up in many ways; as an Officer for the Knights of Columbus and the ARC, serving his church and through sponsorships of children in third world countries. When he turned 80, I asked him where he wanted to go to celebrate, hoping for Italy or Paris. He chose a mission trip to Guatemala to meet his sponsored children. That's my Dad. And what a trip we had!
In a nutshell, Dad spent his entire life preparing for eternal life. He had unwavering faith and adored Jesus, spending countless hours in the Adoration chapel at OLG, saying the rosary and praying. He wanted nothing more than for his family to reconcile and love one another unconditionally. I hope your prayers are answered, Dad.
I will miss you terribly, Dad. The surprise gifts you would leave on my kitchen counter when I was away, the golf outings, and laughing about the silly things that happen from day to day. But I know you are enjoying the bliss of Heaven with mom, Chris, Susan and many others with whom you are now reunited. You are truly one of a kind. I love you and am grateful for every minute of our time together.
Funeral will be at Our Lady of Grace Church in Edina, MN on Monday November 23rd at 10:30am. Mass will be live-streamed at the link below.
Internment will be at Epiphany Cathedral, where Mary and Christopher are interned, in Venice, FL at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations for Opportunity Partners, the non profit organization that supports George's son, Peter, would be appreciated. https://opportunities.org/