George John Vlay Sr.

1927 - 2015

George J. Vlay, Sr.
December 1, 1927 - March 7, 2015
Resident of Los Altos
George J. Vlay, Sr. passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his family. George was a wonderful father and devoted grandfather and was truly loved by his family and friends. George was predeceased by his loving wife of 61 years, Betty Jo Vlay.
George was born in Buffalo, NY to parents John and Victoria Vlay. They were hard working Romanian immigrants who had a thriving restaurant in downtown Buffalo. In 7th grade, George wrote an essay on his future career - Electrical Engineering.
After graduating high school, George enlisted in the Army Air Corps where he learned to be a Weather Observer. Stationed at Tinker Air Force base in Oklahoma City, he rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant. One night in 1948 at a USO party, he met a perky Southern girl named Betty Jo. It was love at first sight, and they married on July 21, 1949.
After the Air Force, they moved to Buffalo, NY, where George earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Buffalo (UB) in 1953. He further pursued his education at UB with graduate work in electronics and mathematics.
While working for a technical publications house, George wrote the Operations Manual for the total electrical system from the nuclear reactor to the propulsion motors for the first four nuclear submarines. Moving to Oklahoma to be near Betty Jo's family, George worked for Aero Commander and was also certified as a Designated Engineering Representative for the FAA. During this time, George and Betty Jo became the proud parents of three children.
The family moved back to NY where he worked with Sylvania. In 1966, the family moved to sunny California. They found the perfect house to raise a family in Los Altos. Their home was always filled with kids, activity, and laughter. In his spare time, George loved to take care of the yard, the Japanese fish pond, and the swimming pool. Of course, he enlisted the help of his kids every weekend.
George joined Philco-Ford (later Ford Aerospace) in Palo Alto, holding a number of increasing responsibilities. He began as Manager of Communications Systems Activity, then held a number of Director positions including: Business Development & Planning; Technical Affairs; and Product Assurance.
George's last assignment with Ford Aerospace was as Director of Systems Management, to review and improve the division's processes to maintain the the high reliability of the Divisions products.
After retirement, George established Systems Management Associates, a consulting firm to electronics companies throughout Silicon Valley. He was especially proud to be selected as the CODSIA (Council of Defense and Space Industries Association) representative for a year-long program to streamline the RFP process with the US Air Force.
An active participant in: Associate Fellow of and Distinguished Lecturer for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA); Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE); Founding Member of the International Council of Systems Engineers (INCOSE); Member of Pi Mu Epsilon, a National Honorary Mathematical Fraternity.
George and Betty Jo loved to travel and explore the world, and they took over 100 cruises. One time while George was on a business trip in Tehran, Iran, he decided to meet Betty Jo halfway around the world in Sydney, Australia. They loved going to Maui, his favorite island. George had a wonderful 2014, attending 3 college graduations for his grandchildren, going on a Caribbean cruise in June with the entire family, visiting his dear friend and best man in his wedding, and celebrating his 87th birthday on a wonderful Panama Canal cruise.
George is survived by his children: Vanessa, Susan (Rick), John (Lisa); seven grandchildren: Devon, Trevor, Jackson, Kaitlyn, Michele, Madison, and Jake. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Irene Chamberlain, and many loved nieces, nephews, and extended family from Oklahoma and Arkansas.
There will be a funeral service on Monday, March 16 at 11:00am at the Los Altos United Methodist Church (655 Magdalena Ave, Los Altos, CA 94024) celebrating the life of George J. Vlay, Sr.