George E. Crapple

1944 - 2020

George E. Crapple
George E. Crapple, of Fisher Island, FL and Greenwich, CT, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on April 25, 2020 following a heroic year-long battle with cancer. He was 76.
George is survived by his beloved wife Carol (Tuyn) Crapple; daughters Stephanie Stapleton (Van), Heather Fargis (John), Holly Lawson (Rich); son Eric Halloran; brother Robert Crapple (Margaret); and ten grandchildren, Nathan, Emma, and Samuel Stapleton; Madeleine, Brian, Dylan, and Patrick Fargis; and Lauren, Trey, and Noelle Lawson – all of whom will miss their Poppy immensely. He was preceded in death by his parents.
George was born on April 23, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois to George A. and Marion A. (Keane) Crapple. He attended Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, Knox College for two years, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1966 with high scholastic distinction and election to the Phi Beta Kappa Society. He attended Harvard Law School, where he served as an editor of the Law Review and graduated magna cum laude in 1969. He practiced law with the Chicago-based firm Sidley & Austin for 14 years, specializing in commodities, securities, and corporate law, becoming a partner in 1975. In 1983, George joined the pioneering investment management firm Millburn Ridgefield Corporation, one of the world's longest operating alternative investment managers. George was with Millburn for the remainder of his distinguished career, leading the firm as Co-Chairman and Co-CEO for over 30 years. In addition, George held numerous leadership positions within the industry. Past roles include: National Futures Association (NFA) Director and Executive Committee Chairman; Managed Funds Association (MFA) Chairman; Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Global Markets Advisory Committee; and Futures Industry Association (FIA) Board of Directors. George testified before Congress as a Futures Industry representative in April 2000 and before the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in 2002.
George was a patron of the arts and a committed supporter of the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT, and served as Co-Chairman of the Board of Trustees, member of the Executive Committee, and Chairman of the Investment Committee. He was also a Trustee of the Pérez Art Museum Miami and on the Collectors Council, Finance Committee and Audit Committee.
George was a member of the Metropolitan Club New York, Harvard Club of NYC, GlenArbor Golf Club, Belle Haven Club, Greenwich Country Club, Fisher Island Club, and Indian Creek Country Club.
George played football in high school and at Knox College. In his prime, he enjoyed a competitive game of hoops, tennis, and waterskiing behind the family boat By George, built by his father. He relished golfing with Carol, his daughters and sons-in-law, and his grandchildren. George especially adored spending time at the cottage in Wisconsin surrounded by his family.
George was exceptionally well-read, with a sophisticated grasp of a wide range of subjects, from law, finance and politics, to wine and art. He dependably held strong opinions and had a myriad of facts at his disposal to back them up, making him the uncontested victor in many a debate. To his admiring family and friends, George was well known for his sense of humor, including clever anecdotes and masterful joke delivery. Although he enjoyed quiet time alone with his books, he did not hesitate to belt out tunes from his extensive repertoire at parties and family gatherings. George had a unique ability to assess complex issues and was consistently sought after for advice by family and friends alike.
Above all, George will be remembered for his devotion and loving relationships with family and dear friends, to whom his kindness and generosity was unparalleled. He will be sorely missed.
A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held in Greenwich, CT at a date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, donations in George's memory may be made to The Prostate Cancer Foundation at cure.pcf.org.