George David Wergeles, May 31, 1925 - November 16, 2015

George Wergeles was born in New York City. At ten years the family moved to Mt. Vernon, NY where he played basketball and baseball. In Mt. Vernon he met seven boys around the time of his Bar Mitzvah who went on to become his lifelong friends. He graduated Edison High and went to Penn State in 1942 and his mother accepted his high school diploma.

During the summer of 1942 he and three friends enlisted in the armed forces. They all signed up for the Marines but only one was able to afford the “dress blues” but despite all of them being different sizes they shared the same uniform.

Although George never served overseas, but he would land in Bermuda after searching for enemy submarines off the Eastern seaboard where he would buy liquor for the officers.

After the war he returned to school and got his first job at the Manhattan technical publications firm, Cushing and Neville. He would spend his entire career working in this field.

Upon the WW2’s end, this “greatest generation”…soldiers, airmen, marines, and sailors returned home and were anxious to both reconnect and restart their lives. In Westchester County, George became president of a community group for young adults to mix and meet, the first of many leadership positions he would hold as the consummate volunteer. It was through one of these groups that he met Florence Topper.

Florence, or Toot as she is called by all that know and love her, went out with several of George’s friends before being swept her off her feet by him. George and Toot married on March 5, 1950 in The Bronx and later honeymooned in Washington, D.C.

Their very first apartment was an attic in a Mt. Vernon private home close to the train station and the school where Toot taught. That same school that George and Toot attended junior high.

Later, George and Toot moved around the corner into a proper apartment with their first child, Phyllis. Two and a half years later, Jeffrey joined. In 1956 they moved into their home for the next 20 years at 41 Primose Avenue, New Rochelle. Carol joined the family just 11 months later and George, Toot, Phyllis, Jeff, and Carol would begin their amazing life journey. This is perhaps George’s crowning achievements, he and Toot brought three children into the world who to this day remain as close as siblings can possibly be.

George had a life-long love of sports. He was not only was he an avid spectator but playing basketball at the “Y”, baseball both at City Field & a business league in Central Park, tennis at Beach & Tennis Club, and later softball at the kids summer camp in campers/guests Sunday games. Although an incredibly talented athlete, George could never quite master golf. There are plenty of mangled clubs in New Rochelle to attest to that.

In 1973 George was offered an opportunity to relocate to Aiken, South Carolina that George and Toot quickly realized was not for them. Shortly thereafter, his company suggested San Diego. In December of that year, George met the brass at General Atomic in La Jolla. Toot joined him a few days later. San Diego at the time was a small town, particularly compared to New York. Toot feared that San Diego, as beautiful as it is, wouldn’t be for her. Upon returning to NY in a snowstorm, they found their car at JFK, coated in ice. In those days George smoked and always industrious, he took his lighter to defrost and free the frozen lock. Upon Toot getting in the car she exclaimed, “Maybe San Diego isn’t so bad.” That summer they moved the family west.

The family settled in Solana Beach and discovered the North County San Diego Jewish community and quickly became members of Temple Judea in Vista. A couple of years later George became board president of the congregation. From General Atomic, George moved onto General Dynamics where he retired in 1988.

Through his many years in San Diego, George shined as a community volunteer. In addition to Temple Judea, George either served on boards or worked at such San Diego organizations as Jewish Federation, Jewish Community Center, Temple Beth Am, the Sheriff’s Department, the City of San Diego at the1996 Republican National Convention (there had to be at least one Democrat present to keep the GOP honest) the American’s Cup, and perhaps his most cherished work at Children’s Hospital. He volunteered for various duties within the hospital and upon retirement he spent several days a week in the emergency room, where he was recognized with several commendations including Volunteer of the Year. Other recognitions include a ten-year service award from the Sheriff, Dedicated Community Service from the Jewish Federation of San Diego, and honors from both Temple Judea and Temple Beth Am.

Five years ago George was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a little known degenerative brain disease with no known cause, treatment, or cure. PSP tragically took his life this week.

For 90 years George was a power to behold. He could talk to anyone, anytime about anything. He was a man who could do, and did, many things for many people. He leaves behind his wife of 65 years, Florence, his three children, their partners, four grandchildren, and his beloved brother Donald and his family.

To honor George, In Lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to Rady Children’s Hospital - San Diego, Cure PSP, or the Southern Poverty Law Center.