George W. Stoudt

George W. Stoudt, 91, of Oberlin passed away on December 24, 2016 at Elmcroft of Lorain Assisted Living following a short illness.

He was born in Salem, Ohio on April 10, 1925. After graduating from Salem High School in 1943, he enlisted in the U. S. Navy, was accepted into the Navy V-12 officer training program and assigned to the V-12 unit at Oberlin College where he completed an intensive 16 month program in engineering, math and science. His last week in Oberlin, he met the love of his life, Betty Bates, on a blind date. Days later, he left for Asbury, NJ and then to Columbia University in New York to complete the naval training portion of the V-12 program and was commissioned an Ensign on April 26, 1945. Two days later, he and Betty were married in Lorain and spent their honeymoon on a train to San Francisco where George boarded a ship to the South Pacific. He spent the next ten months on active duty as skipper of a LCT (Landing Craft Tank) stationed on various islands around New Guinea.

George considered a career in the Navy, but after he met Betty, he decided that being with her and raising a family was more important. He resigned his active duty status when he return from the war and went to work as a design engineer for Bendix Westinghouse Automotive Air Brake Company in Elyria where he worked for 34 years and holds several patents for air brake components. The last seven years of his career were spent at Nordson Corporation in Amherst where he also has several patents for his designs. He did remain active in the Naval Reserves until 1956 when the demands of his growing family conflicted with the demands of the reserves. He retired with the rank of full lieutenant.

He was extremely proud of his family. He never missed a game, a marching band performance, or a concert in which his children participated and once his grandchildren became involved in school activities, he tried to follow them as long as he was able. He and Betty were past presidents of both the Oberlin High School Athletic Boosters and the Marching Band Boosters.

An avid sports fan, George played on the Oberlin College baseball team in 1944, played recreational softball, played in two bowling leagues, and was a long time member of the Oberlin Golf Club where he played until he was well into his 80s.

George had always talked about wanting to visit Washington, DC to see the WW II memorial but as he aged, had given up on the idea. In October, 2016, thanks to Honor Flight Cleveland, an organization devoted to making sure veterans have the opportunity to visit Washington and see the monuments built to honor their service, George and his daughter, Leslie, were able to make the trip less than a week before George was taken ill. It was a trip he thoroughly enjoyed and the last major event of his life.

George is survived by his children Leslie Curtis of Oberlin, Judith (BJ) Connolly of Boiling Springs, SC, and Clifford (Laura) of Greenville, SC; nephew Gregory (Roberta) Grude of Birmingham, OH and nieces Connie (Michael) Hankes of Braintree, MA and Kathy (Keith) Pease of Dola, OH; grandchildren Shannon (Douglas) Miller of Lagrange, Scott (Angie) Nichols of Lorain, Meredith (Adam) Kaminicki of Hilliard, OH, Courtney Nichols of Oberlin, Kimberly (Ali) Moore of Mason, OH, Bradley Nichols of Oberlin, Taylor Connolly of Boiling Springs, SC, Cydnei (Wade) Greenlee of Savannah, GA, Zachary Stoudt of Greenville, SC and Cole Stoudt of Jacksonville, AL; 18 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sisters Jane Sparling of Omaha, NE and Janet Dunn of Dallas, TX as well has many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 69 years Betty; his parents, Clifford L. and Nora Arlene Stoudt; and sister Betty Spack.

Friends will be received Saturday, January 14, 2017 from 11:00 am-1:00 pm at the Cowling Funeral Home, 228 S Main Street, Oberlin, OH followed by a 1:30 pm luncheon at Sterks of Oberlin, 580 W Lorain St., Oberlin, OH. A private graveside service is planned. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Hospice of the Western Reserve or Honor Flight Cleveland.

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