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Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory Edgewater

2973 Solomons Island Road

Edgewater, Maryland

George Shenk Obituary

SHENK JR., GEORGE CARROLL, 61, died at his home in Edgewater on December 1 after a nearly two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. George retired from the printing industry after he and his brother, Steve, sold the Whitmore Group in April 2012. George started at Whitmore Printing in 1968 as a part-time, seasonal worker while attending prep school in Worcester, MA. His father, George Sr., purchased Whitmore from John and Paul Whitmore in 1970 and passed the business to his children in 1982. Annual revenue after the sale grew from $100,000 to $14 million at its peak. Born in Brooklyn, NY, George lived in several cities before his family located to Annapolis, including Garden City, NY, Paoli, PA, Haverford, PA, Darien, CT and West Chicago, IL. Pursuing his childhood love of photography, he attended the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. After two years studying photography, George switched to business and in 1976 graduated with bachelor degrees in fine arts and business administration. He also impressed teachers with his aptitude for statistics. But his love of photography never waned. He took photos for several years for the U.S. Boat Shows, the Rotary Crab Feast, and traveled the country taking landscape photos used in calendars he produced at Whitmore. During his 31 years of business in Annapolis, he was known for his passion for photography and his personal service to many customers and advertising agencies. He also offered pro-bono service to countless non-profit organizations in the community. George's passion for arts and his knowledge for business helped him create the Maryland Hall Foundation and later the Cultural Arts Foundation under County Executive Robert Neall. He also served on the Ballet Theater of Annapolis, the Anne Arundel County Library Foundation, Indian Creek School, Jaycees, Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce, and Historic Annapolis Foundation. George was also a member of the founding board of CommerceFirst Bank and participated in Leadership Maryland. He was president of the Rotary Club of Annapolis, where he once chaired the annual crab feast. He was also closely involved in his trade organizations and served as president of the Printing Industries of Maryland. In 1976 he married Margaret Hawco and fathered one child, Timothy, in 1985. The couple divorced in 1991. George married Carolyn Tonty on June 26, 1993. They traveled to China in 1998 to adopt Emma when she was one year old. George is survived by his wife, Carolyn; his children, Tim Shenk of New York, NY, and Emma at home; his father, George Carroll Shenk Sr. of Sarasota, FL; mother, Nancy McCormack of Annapolis; brother, Stephen of Centreville and sister, Janet Dee of Annapolis; step-brothers, Peter Stanford of Annapolis and Michael Stanford of Scottsdale, AZ, David Eskee of Owings Mills, and Louis Eskee of Cahuenga, CA. Friends are invited to George's Life Celebration from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 5 at the George P. Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, December 6 at St. Anne's Church, Church Circle, Annapolis. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in George's name can be made to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research and Hospice of the Chesapeake. An online guestbook is available at www.kalasfuneralhomes.com.

Published by The Capital on Dec. 4, 2013.
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3 Entries

Carol, Tim and Emma,
I am so sorry to know the passing of George. Lijun, Leia and I have fond memories of George. We will miss him.

Susan Wang

December 10, 2013

My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this difficult time. George was a special man who will be sorely missed.

Eileen Williams

December 5, 2013

Offering our deepest condolences during this difficult time.

The Staff of Kalas Funeral Homes

December 4, 2013

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Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory Edgewater

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