George DeYoung

This weekend, my wife and I commemorated the redemption of the body from slavery to freedom at my family's Passover Seder, and celebrated the redemption of the soul from death to life at Easter worship and dinner with our grandchildren.

My father-in-law, George DeYoung, passed away this morning, at age 91, after a long decline, peacefully in his sleep, in a VA home in Fayetteville, NC, attended by members of his family.

George was a WWII navy veteran, industrial engineer for the Whiting corporation, and devoted family man. He was married to his wife Marian for almost 75 years before she slipped away from Alzheimer's. He raised a son and three daughters and basked in the joy of many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

My wife has told me many stories about her father. They worked on cars together, went fishing, and traveled extensively with an RV club, including the time they met and spent an evening around the campfire with Carroll O'Connor, who starred as Archie Bunker on TV's "All in the Family."

I knew my father-in-law as an inveterate tinkerer, always puttering around the house (that he built) in South Holland, Illinois, where I spent many Easters, Christmases, birthdays, weddings, and family gatherings. Devoutly Catholic, and a deacon in his church, George welcomed me into his home, and encouraged my marriage to his daughter.

Slow to speak, slow to anger, and slow to say a bad word about anyone, when he did speak, people listened.

Plans are being made to have his and his wife's ashes interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

George was loved and respected by all who knew him. He will be missed, but his legacy and memories will be long cherished.