George Louis Shire

George Louis Shire, beloved companion of Sonia Robertson, was called home to be with Christ Jesus, his Lord and savior, on 13 April 2007. George is survived by Sonia and his son Andrew. Born in the bayou of Gulfport, Mississippi January 18, 1930 to Leonard Lee Shire and Johnnie (Long) Shire, the soon moved to South Bend, Indiana where he spent his childhood. George  After graduating high school, George joined the Navy where, following his father's advice to "volunteer for everything," he found himself in the newly emerging field of Naval Mine Warfare and Explosive Ordinance Disposal. His skills in this new field led the Navy to select George to be a trainer, keeping him stateside for the duration of the Korean conflict.

In his second tour he taught ordinance defusing and disposal at Norfolk, Virginia. Upon separation from the Navy, George married, settled in Baltimore, Maryland, and had two sons, Gregory and Andrew.

George was always a gifted artist and he found work with Westinghouse as a technical illustrator for twenty-one years. George had an incredible fascination with history, antiquities and nature that fueled his life long passion for fossil hunting, archaeology, and "scrounging," as he liked to call it. In 1976, George made Arizona his home, and shortly thereafter he met the love of his life, constant companion, and best friend Sonia.

After settling in Arizona, George worked at Motorola for sixteen years until his retirement in 1993. George was an avid fantasy and science fiction fan. He loved "horse trading," and he always liked to recount stories of the numerous "characters" he encountered throughout his life. The love of George's family and friends is surpassed only by the love of God, in whose company he now rests (Isaiah 40:28-31). A memorial service will be held at Messinger Mortuary, 7601 E.

Indian School Rd. in Scottsdale on Wednesday, 18 April, at 6:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Hospice of Arizona, 7100 E. Mescal St., Scottsdale, AZ 85254. Bell family Bell family.

Sources: Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com

08/10/2024 EJS