Obituary: George, Del Raymond
He was born May 5, 1918, in Quincy, WA to Walter George and Mary (Crandall) George.
In the early 1920s the family homesteaded to Chewelah, WA with nothing more than a horse drawn cook shack, two milking cows, and one riding horse.
During the Great Depression, he boxed as a featherweight for, “a dollar a fight… if you won,” said Mr. George.
In the mid 1940s Mr. George moved from the family farm to Spokane, WA.
and promptly began building the family home in north Spokane almost entirely single-handedly, from the ground up, out of cinder blocks while working full time as a mechanic but quickly realized he was, “tired of making money for someone else” and opened his own body shop, West End Body Shop, in 1954.
To that end, he never had to make a car payment.
All cars were paid with cash.
Always a caring man, he even saved his neighbor’s infant’s life by performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in the mid 1950s.
He was always rebuilding cars for family and friends including a 1951 Ford Custom, 1958 Ford Thunderbird with a 490 Lincoln Motor, 1962 Ford Fairlane, Chevy Corvair Spyder, several Volkswagen Bugs, a VW Microbus, a Porsche 944, an Isuzu Impulse, and an award winning kit car.
On April 2, 1958 Mr. George joined the Hillyard Mason’s Lodge #133 and on June 4, 1959 was raised to the degree of Master Mason on June 4, 1959.
He was subsequently elected as Master of the Hillyard Lodge for the year 1966.
He sold insurance in the mid 1960s but it was his love of working on cars and teaching young people that drew him to instructing.
Mr. George worked as an automotive instructor at Spokane Community College for 15-20 years restoring cars that had been involved in accidents.
He was one of the last artisans of his trade who could straighten a car frame using only manual equipment.
Besides being an expert at teaching advanced automobile body repair techniques, he would buy wrecked cars and fix them from the ground up.
On occasion, students and teachers alike would bring in their own specimens and he would fix them as well.
One of his crowning glories was acquiring two Isuzu Impulses, one was totaled from the front and the other from the rear.
He took the two cars, cut them in half and welded them together to make one good one…quite a feat!
Over the years he was promoted to Advanced Auto Body Instructor.
In his last year of teaching he was the head of the shop at Spokane Community College and a pioneer of his time in using state-of-the-art car paint.
He retired in 1985.
In his retirement years he maintained a huge vegetable garden, had a stunning rose garden around his home (the same house he built back in the 1940s!).
He also travelled and lived in Kettle Falls, Spokane, Redmond, and Richland, WA.
He also lived on the U.S.
Territory of Saipan, an island 120 miles northeast of the Philippines.
He will be fondly remembered by his four granddaughters for taking them up along the logging roads of Chewelah and Stevens County for all-day huckleberry picking adventures in the VW Microbus, working alongside him in the garden, and picking apples, cherries, and peaches from the fruit trees on his property.
He even had the patience to teach two of the granddaughters how to drive.
Always fit and trim, even into his early 90s, Mr. George climbed Badger Mountain in Richland, WA - almost six miles and 1579 feet in elevation.
In the fall of 2011 Mr. George was also able to travel back to Chewelah, WA to see the old homestead, the big barn he and his brothers built, even the old brick schoolhouse where he walked to school, and to see family members Linda Johnson and Jack George, Jr. who still maintains the family farm.
In 2010 , at the age of 91 he decided he wanted to own his own home again - only his second.
He went to the bank to get a 30 year mortgage and was turned down, not for lack of funds, but for his age - no man of 91 years old could ever repay a 30-year note.
He threatened to sue the bank and was promptly awarded the loan.
Mr. George always stood up for what he thought was right and fair, not only in his own life but that of others as well.
Mr. George will be fondly remembered for his easy-going demeanor - nothing ever seemed to ruffle his feathers.
He was a fair, honest, respectful individual with a heart of gold, and a true gentleman who loved and always cared for his entire family to the end.
Mr. George was preceded in death by his parents, wife Jean and three brothers, Bill, Allen, and Jack George.
Survivors include his son, Dr. Del R. George, DVM of Richland, WA; daughter, Nancy (George) Nolan, R.N.
of Federal Way, WA, four granddaughters, Lisa Ellsworth of Spokane, WA, Lori Bryson of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA, Stephanie Brown of Puyallup, WA, Michelle Chalupsky of Salida, CO, and three great-grandchildren, John and Katie Bryson, and Tyler Brown.
A special thank you to Ms. Christy Neighbour of Richland, WA who was Del’s caregiver for many years and for her devotion to the man until his very last breath.
A memorial service will occur at a future date at the George homestead in Chewelah, WA where his ashes will be scattered alongside those of other family members.