George Ross Sainsbury

George Ross SAINSBURY George Ross Sainsbury died on March 13, 2011 in Bakersfield, Cali fornia while returning from a bird- watching trip. A native Washingtoni an, he was born on May 9, 1925 in Longview, Washington, and was a graduate of Kelso High School and the University of Washington. George had three passions: (colon) scouting, mountain rescue and Mary Jane Nordfors, whom he married in 1949. He spent a decade working with the Boy Scouts of America, as Dis trict Executive for the Chief Seattle Council and later as Council Execu tive of the Olympic Area Council. An other decade was spent with the Girl Scouts of USA where he served on the national staff as financial advis er for region 11. After a fall, while attempting a new route up the south face of Mount Rainier, George dedicated his life to mountain search and rescue. His 22 hours in a crevasse on Kautz Glacier formed his commitment to rescuing others. He served as Chairman of Seattle Mountain Rescue and was a charter member of Olympia Moun tain Rescue. He also served on the board for the American Alpine Club and received that organization's An gelo Heilprin Citation in 1997 for his work in preventing mountaineering accidents in Washington State. For 17 years, he and his wife lived on their 40-foot trawler Noatak and ex plored the waters of Southeast Alas ka and British Columbia. George was also a member of the Queen City Yacht Club and the Stillaguamish Country Club. Mary Jane Sainsbury, his wife of al most 62 years, survives him and their daughter Mary Ann Sainsbury. A memorial service is being planned. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Nature Conservancy, the Chief Seattle Council of the Boy Scouts of America or the Girl Scouts of Western Wash ington.