Winston Churchill once said, "Russia is a riddle wrapped in mystery inside an enigma." While he was speaking of a nation, he could also have been speaking of George William Spellman, who passed unexpectedly on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010, in his home in Marion, Iowa. George's physical presence may be gone from this earth, but his indomitable personality lives on in the hearts and minds of those who knew him.
George Spellman was many things - a father, a brother, a son, an uncle, a grandfather and recently a great-grandfather, a co-worker, a U.S. Army veteran and a friend, but in addition to these roles he also was quite simply an unforgettable force to those who knew him.
His vision for how he wished to spend his life was formed early and in that vision was the ability to travel the globe doing interesting work and he accomplished this goal.
He began his career as a New Jersey longshoreman, and next had stints on oil tankers traversing ports worldwide, to a later career as a top executive with Harris Corporation in New York City, Quincy, IL, and Melbourne, FL, and later at General Electric in Rochester NY, and Erie, PA. A look at his multiple passports, each with extra pages full of customs stamps from across the globe, tells the story of an interesting life.
George loved to read and history was among his favorite topics. He had an amazing ability to recall details of battles and intrigue, from the minute to the momentous. He leaves behind family and friends that will miss his razor sharp mind, quick wit and his uncanny ability to solve thorny challenges. He was born in New York City, lived in New Jersey for many years, moved to Quincy, Ill., in the mid-1970s to take a small company global, and then he moved to various locations in the U.S. making his imprint along the way. He moved to Iowa to be closer to family as he battled tough health challenges that included a kidney transplant. He had many battles with today's challenging health care system, but he never complained about his health to his family or friends and he lived almost 15 years as a kidney transplant recipient.
He was born August 10, 1934, in New York City, the son of George Spellman and Genevieve Heck Spellman, he attended St. Mary' in Rutherford starting in kindergarten, and was graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1951. He subsequently was graduated from the Newark campus of Rutgers University.
George leaves behind many friends and family including his daughter, Lisa Spellman and husband Mark Trimble of Iowa City; daughter, Karen Spellman Zanger and husband Greg Zanger of Quincy, Ill.; and a son, Matt Spellman and wife Erin of Cedar Rapids; his grandson, Adam Zanger and his wife, Katherine and their two children Briana and Dominic; grandsons, Luke, Josh, Jared and Jordan Zanger, all of Quincy, IL; his brothers, John Spellman of Hasbrouck Heights and Howard Spellman of Toms River; and many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Lesley Jean Spellman; and his parents, Gorge and Genevieve Spellman.
The family requests donations to the Cedar Valley Humane Society, www.cvhumane.org or the National Transplant Assistance Fund, www.nata.org, and also welcomes online condolences that may be directed to www.stewartbaxter.com
A memorial service was held graveside at Calvary Cemetery in Quincy, Ill. A second service will be held in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area at a later date.
George Spellman was many things - a father, a brother, a son, an uncle, a grandfather and recently a great-grandfather, a co-worker, a U.S. Army veteran and a friend, but in addition to these roles he also was quite simply an unforgettable force to those who knew him.
His vision for how he wished to spend his life was formed early and in that vision was the ability to travel the globe doing interesting work and he accomplished this goal.
He began his career as a New Jersey longshoreman, and next had stints on oil tankers traversing ports worldwide, to a later career as a top executive with Harris Corporation in New York City, Quincy, IL, and Melbourne, FL, and later at General Electric in Rochester NY, and Erie, PA. A look at his multiple passports, each with extra pages full of customs stamps from across the globe, tells the story of an interesting life.
George loved to read and history was among his favorite topics. He had an amazing ability to recall details of battles and intrigue, from the minute to the momentous. He leaves behind family and friends that will miss his razor sharp mind, quick wit and his uncanny ability to solve thorny challenges. He was born in New York City, lived in New Jersey for many years, moved to Quincy, Ill., in the mid-1970s to take a small company global, and then he moved to various locations in the U.S. making his imprint along the way. He moved to Iowa to be closer to family as he battled tough health challenges that included a kidney transplant. He had many battles with today's challenging health care system, but he never complained about his health to his family or friends and he lived almost 15 years as a kidney transplant recipient.
He was born August 10, 1934, in New York City, the son of George Spellman and Genevieve Heck Spellman, he attended St. Mary' in Rutherford starting in kindergarten, and was graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1951. He subsequently was graduated from the Newark campus of Rutgers University.
George leaves behind many friends and family including his daughter, Lisa Spellman and husband Mark Trimble of Iowa City; daughter, Karen Spellman Zanger and husband Greg Zanger of Quincy, Ill.; and a son, Matt Spellman and wife Erin of Cedar Rapids; his grandson, Adam Zanger and his wife, Katherine and their two children Briana and Dominic; grandsons, Luke, Josh, Jared and Jordan Zanger, all of Quincy, IL; his brothers, John Spellman of Hasbrouck Heights and Howard Spellman of Toms River; and many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Lesley Jean Spellman; and his parents, Gorge and Genevieve Spellman.
The family requests donations to the Cedar Valley Humane Society, www.cvhumane.org or the National Transplant Assistance Fund, www.nata.org, and also welcomes online condolences that may be directed to www.stewartbaxter.com
A memorial service was held graveside at Calvary Cemetery in Quincy, Ill. A second service will be held in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area at a later date.
Winston Churchill once said, "Russia is a riddle wrapped in mystery inside an enigma." While he was speaking of a nation, he could also have been speaking of George William Spellman, who passed unexpectedly on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010, in his home in Marion, Iowa. George's physical presence may be gone from this earth, but his indomitable personality lives on in the hearts and minds of those who knew him.
George Spellman was many things - a father, a brother, a son, an uncle, a grandfather and recently a great-grandfather, a co-worker, a U.S. Army veteran and a friend, but in addition to these roles he also was quite simply an unforgettable force to those who knew him.
His vision for how he wished to spend his life was formed early and in that vision was the ability to travel the globe doing interesting work and he accomplished this goal.
He began his career as a New Jersey longshoreman, and next had stints on oil tankers traversing ports worldwide, to a later career as a top executive with Harris Corporation in New York City, Quincy, IL, and Melbourne, FL, and later at General Electric in Rochester NY, and Erie, PA. A look at his multiple passports, each with extra pages full of customs stamps from across the globe, tells the story of an interesting life.
George loved to read and history was among his favorite topics. He had an amazing ability to recall details of battles and intrigue, from the minute to the momentous. He leaves behind family and friends that will miss his razor sharp mind, quick wit and his uncanny ability to solve thorny challenges. He was born in New York City, lived in New Jersey for many years, moved to Quincy, Ill., in the mid-1970s to take a small company global, and then he moved to various locations in the U.S. making his imprint along the way. He moved to Iowa to be closer to family as he battled tough health challenges that included a kidney transplant. He had many battles with today's challenging health care system, but he never complained about his health to his family or friends and he lived almost 15 years as a kidney transplant recipient.
He was born August 10, 1934, in New York City, the son of George Spellman and Genevieve Heck Spellman, he attended St. Mary' in Rutherford starting in kindergarten, and was graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1951. He subsequently was graduated from the Newark campus of Rutgers University.
George leaves behind many friends and family including his daughter, Lisa Spellman and husband Mark Trimble of Iowa City; daughter, Karen Spellman Zanger and husband Greg Zanger of Quincy, Ill.; and a son, Matt Spellman and wife Erin of Cedar Rapids; his grandson, Adam Zanger and his wife, Katherine and their two children Briana and Dominic; grandsons, Luke, Josh, Jared and Jordan Zanger, all of Quincy, IL; his brothers, John Spellman of Hasbrouck Heights and Howard Spellman of Toms River; and many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Lesley Jean Spellman; and his parents, Gorge and Genevieve Spellman.
The family requests donations to the Cedar Valley Humane Society, www.cvhumane.org or the National Transplant Assistance Fund, www.nata.org, and also welcomes online condolences that may be directed to www.stewartbaxter.com
A memorial service was held graveside at Calvary Cemetery in Quincy, Ill. A second service will be held in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area at a later date.
George Spellman was many things - a father, a brother, a son, an uncle, a grandfather and recently a great-grandfather, a co-worker, a U.S. Army veteran and a friend, but in addition to these roles he also was quite simply an unforgettable force to those who knew him.
His vision for how he wished to spend his life was formed early and in that vision was the ability to travel the globe doing interesting work and he accomplished this goal.
He began his career as a New Jersey longshoreman, and next had stints on oil tankers traversing ports worldwide, to a later career as a top executive with Harris Corporation in New York City, Quincy, IL, and Melbourne, FL, and later at General Electric in Rochester NY, and Erie, PA. A look at his multiple passports, each with extra pages full of customs stamps from across the globe, tells the story of an interesting life.
George loved to read and history was among his favorite topics. He had an amazing ability to recall details of battles and intrigue, from the minute to the momentous. He leaves behind family and friends that will miss his razor sharp mind, quick wit and his uncanny ability to solve thorny challenges. He was born in New York City, lived in New Jersey for many years, moved to Quincy, Ill., in the mid-1970s to take a small company global, and then he moved to various locations in the U.S. making his imprint along the way. He moved to Iowa to be closer to family as he battled tough health challenges that included a kidney transplant. He had many battles with today's challenging health care system, but he never complained about his health to his family or friends and he lived almost 15 years as a kidney transplant recipient.
He was born August 10, 1934, in New York City, the son of George Spellman and Genevieve Heck Spellman, he attended St. Mary' in Rutherford starting in kindergarten, and was graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1951. He subsequently was graduated from the Newark campus of Rutgers University.
George leaves behind many friends and family including his daughter, Lisa Spellman and husband Mark Trimble of Iowa City; daughter, Karen Spellman Zanger and husband Greg Zanger of Quincy, Ill.; and a son, Matt Spellman and wife Erin of Cedar Rapids; his grandson, Adam Zanger and his wife, Katherine and their two children Briana and Dominic; grandsons, Luke, Josh, Jared and Jordan Zanger, all of Quincy, IL; his brothers, John Spellman of Hasbrouck Heights and Howard Spellman of Toms River; and many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Lesley Jean Spellman; and his parents, Gorge and Genevieve Spellman.
The family requests donations to the Cedar Valley Humane Society, www.cvhumane.org or the National Transplant Assistance Fund, www.nata.org, and also welcomes online condolences that may be directed to www.stewartbaxter.com
A memorial service was held graveside at Calvary Cemetery in Quincy, Ill. A second service will be held in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area at a later date.
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