George Lindsay MacGarrigle

George Lindsay MacGarrigle, 79, of Winchester passed away Friday, October 1, 2010 at his home. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, October 6 at 11:00 A.M. at Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in Woodstock. Reverend Timothy Nilsen will officiate. Burial will follow in Sunset View Memorial Gardens in Woodstock.

Mr. MacGarrigle was born December 11, 1930 in Hahnemann Hospital of Philadelphia, Pa. He was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. George MacGarrigle Sr. George is a true Army man. Spending his entire working years in or associated with the U.S. Army. He and Lois moved to Westminster Canterbury after twelve years in their home in Woodstock, Virginia.

George enjoyed telling he was in the U.S Army fifty years, he would explain it by saying the following, "I served twenty five years active duty and then I was hired by The Department of The U.S. Army Center of Military History; Histories Division where he wrote books and other publications."

George was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1952; he served with the 1st Cavalry Division during The Vietnam War as an Infantry Battalion Commander. He directed the military history program while assigned to the ROTC at Pennsylvania State University and has taught American history at the University of Virginia, Arlington County. He served as a civilian historian with the Center of Military History, where he wrote The Year of the Offensive, the first combat volume telling the 115th Army story of combat in Vietnam. He also coauthored Black Soldier/White Army: The 24th Infantry Regiment in Korea. Among his other works, George has written two narratives entitled Aleutians and Central Burma for the Center's series The U.S. Army Campaigns of World War II. He retired from the Center in 1997.

On October 2, 1981, he married his current wife, Lois Stuckert MacGarrigle and they built their retirement home in Woodstock, Virginia. They enjoyed living in the "country" until they moved May 23, 2007 to Westminster Canterbury because of declining health issues.

While living in Woodstock, he was a volunteer in the Food Pantry program, and attended a workout facility. George says he has had many interests and hobbies in years past, including stamp collecting, tennis, chess, and squash. More recently, he was involved in gardening, landscaping and mowing our lawn with my tractor.

George's former wife Patty remarried after he and Patty had four wonderful children: Stephen Lindsay MacGarrigle of Maryland, Kenneth John MacGarrigle of Washington D.C., Mrs. Carol Lynn Calouri of Leesburg Virginia, and Mrs. Claire Anne Leonard of Texas, and two grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made in lieu of flowers to Mt. Zion Lutheran Church 3055 Fairview Rd. Woodstock, Virginia 22664, and Blue Ridge Hospice 333 West Cork St. Winchester, Virginia 22601.

The funeral home will be open 9:00 to 5:00 on Tuesday for friends and family to sign the register book or you may leave your condolences at www.dellingerfuneralhome.com

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