I joined the United States Navy July 7, 1971. I did my boot camp in San Diego, CA. Upon completion of boot camp, I went on to the first phase of SQT, my training in BUDS. I got injured after 3 months and was assigned to the USS Constellation CVA 64 as the ship’s damage control company. I spent 6 months in the theatre of operations in Vietnam. During this time, I was re-injured and received an honorable discharge with medical challenges.
Upon my completion of my service, I obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Restaurant and Institutional Management from Penn State University. Most of my career consisted of providing food service management to various food organizations. My consistent food quality was key to my success. I was always attentive to the needs of my customers. I took great pride in myself by establishing good relationships with my staff and providing a productive work environment for all.
I am retired from the service business; however, food has always been a passion for me. Cooking for family and friends brings me a lot of joy. My food skills and techniques have changed. My ability to make decisions about foods to eat are based on information about nutrition and healthfulness as well as personal goals due to my current health issues.
My family is a loving and supportive one. I am surrounded by a group of individuals who share our values. Our problems are shared and we take suggestions from one another. My immediate family consists of my wife Rosemary, son Curt, daughter-in-law Christina, and two granddaughters Faye and Lily. I also have two married sisters, Sally & Jim and Susan & Phil.
We all share our life with many cherished cousins and close friends. They have all stood by me in good times and bad times. We inspire each other to keep faith. My wife of 41 years and I work to provide love, support, and stability to our two young granddaughters. We work with their parents to stick with family values. We strive to stay positive and flexible. We are always willing to help and be with our granddaughters.
I am a cooking enthusiast. I love to take and utilize what I have that is seasonal and make something delicious and edible. Cooking is relaxing and satisfying to me. I love to share my experiences with others. Cooking can release strong pent-up emotions, giving me a sense of relief. It has always brought me self-satisfaction. Preparing a good meal for everyone to enjoy and experience is one of my passions.
I have been a drummer for at least 40 years. I have played with several bands throughout my life. Drumming has always provided me with creativity. It also has helped me relieve stress and has improved my coordination. Drumming has always made me feel happy.
Sports have also been a part of my life. As a youth, I played many sports. However, baseball always was my top sport. I played on youth all-star teams and continued to play in high school and in older leagues. When my son Curt became of age, I naturally would encourage him to play baseball. I was thrilled how he picked up the game and succeeded. In 1999, after winning the Little League PA State Championship, I took our local Little League team to Bristol Connecticut trying to make it to Williamsport, PA to the Little League World Series. Unfortunately, we lost 3 to 2 to Toms Rivers, NJ who were former world champions – Not Bad.
Over the past decade I have been dealing with my kidney disease. In August 2023, I had my left kidney removed. I was diagnosed with papillary renal cell carcinoma in October 2023. I have tried my best to avoid dialysis. Receiving a kidney transplant before dialysis, known as preemptive transplantation, has the best results for a longer life.
My motto: Make healthy choices. Make better food choices. Keep up Good Physical Activity. Get Good Rest. Control Blood Pressure and Sugar. Over time, my kidney disease has gotten worse. I have avoided dialysis by making better and healthier choices, trying to keep up my good physical activity and resting when needed. Going on dialysis for 4 hours 3 days a week would replace my kidney function, however, obtaining a kidney transplant would provide me with the freedom of living and doing the things I like to do. To live longer, enjoy a better quality of life and a return to normal daily activities would be a blessing.
For medically cleared donors, giving the gift of life through living kidney donation has been proven to be very safe. DOVE will assist all prospective donors throughout the process and make sure they do not incur any out-of-pocket expenses related to the evaluation or surgery. A healthy person can live a normal life with one kidney and save George’s life with the other!
Your support, whether through spreading the word on social media or considering becoming a donor, can make a profound impact on his life and the life of his family!
Please click on the link below if you would like to learn more OR call (551) 233-1611