Benjamin Franklin George ‘61

Benjamin Franklin George was born on Dec. 30, 1939, in Medford, Ore., to the late Franklin and Elmeda George, and he passed away at the age of 81 on March 14, 2021, in Stockton, Calif.

At the age of 6, his family moved back to Bartlett, N.H., where his father’s family lived. Ben attended Bartlett schools, and graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1961.

Having been part of the ROTC program, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. that year and spent his military service with the USAF in Duluth, Minn., Murphy Dome, Alaska, and Montgomery, Ala., in the NORAD program.

Following his military career, and guided by his love of plants and gardening, he took advantage of the GI Bill and furthered his education with an MS degree at UNH, then earned his Ph.D at Cornell, majoring in plant science and plant genetics.

Ben spent the majority of his career (32 years) with the H.J. Heinz Co., initially as a plant breeder, then as the Agriculture Research Manager for HeinzSeed.

He loved his family, his job, and the people he worked with. In retirement, he wrote a family genealogy, and joined the SICL Writing Club where he wrote poetry and short stories.

He also enjoyed gardening, especially growing tomatoes. He was a member of SIRS No. 46, and the Weber Point Coffee Club.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years Barbara; daughters, Becky (Tom) Whitesides of Linden, Calif.; and Karen (Rob) Lorenz of Santa Rosa, Calif., and was preceded in death by his son, Daniel, and his brother Bert George.

He is also survived by his sister Jody Couillard (Andy) of North Hampton, N.H.; his sister-in-law Greta George of Bartlett, N.H.; and his much loved grandchildren, Christopher and Anna Whitesides; Ryan and Jackson Lorenz; and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at Lincoln Presbyterian Church at 900 Douglas Road in Stockton, Calif., on April 9 at 1 p.m and also online at youtu.be/iKYM-DFOIZs.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Lincoln Presbyterian Church, or the charity of your choice.

Our family would like to express gratitude for the love and support of friends and the staff at Somerford Place during the years Ben struggled with Alzheimer’s disease.