GEORGE HARTWELL

1944 - 2017

George Boyd Hartwell Age 73, of Lacey, died September 28, 2017. He was born to the late Ruth O'Hare and Duane Hartwell on Feb. 28, 1944, in Tacoma, WA. After graduating from Western Washington University George moved to Chehalis, then Lacey, where he spent the rest of his life. George sought social justice with a focus on bettering the lives of children, working most of his career for Child Protective Services. He helped build a school in Nicaragua in 1988 with the Thurston Santo Tom s Sister-County Assn., for which he later held many annual plant sale fundraisers. George enjoyed debating politics, even when his opponents did not. George was a wilderness lover and mountaineer, summiting most of the peaks in the PNW, including Rainier twice. In his later years, he liked long-odds bets at the horse races, long days toiling in his garden, and spoiling his dog Cleo. He was funny, intellectual, and loved music, especially the blues. He described himself as a curmudgeon, and few disagreed. Surviving him are three children, Paige Frey of Lacey; Paige Hartwell of Olympia; and Aaron Hartwell of Seattle; three grandchildren, Renn, Aubrey, and Keira; brother Steve, and sisters Chris and Holly. Leave a memory or find donation info at: http://www.edwardsmemorial.com/obituaries/George-Boyd-Hartwell?obId=2601716#/ Private services will be held.