Friday, April 4, 2025
Like most of his family and friends, I have very fond and lasting memories of Uncle George, all related to his “quirky” humor and charismatic personality. As a youngster and young adult, family parties were always a pleasure since I knew I’d be meeting up with Uncle George to play a few games of tennis, air hockey, horseshoes, or an infamous late night round of pinochle! I know that each of us has at least one special memory of Uncle George, and I’d like to share one of mine with you. Back in 1978, I was part of a high school marching band that an opportunity to compete in Montville, which was Uncle George’s home town. As I was finishing a trumpet solo at the end of our competition, some crazy guy in the stands started cheering my rather mediocre performance, which seemed rather odd at the time. As I was walking off the performance field, a familiar voice behind me said “Great job, Jophis”, and I knew immediately that this was Uncle George. You see, for some unknown reason, Uncle George nicknamed me Jophis at an early age, which was how he greeted me throughout my entire life. To this day, I still smile when thinking about that moment!
