Born September 23, 1930 in Dickinson ND; died October 13, 2022 in Seattle.
George’s early years were spent on his father’s farm near New England, ND. He attended a one room country school for 7 years. His family then moved to town and while in high school he held a variety of jobs including delivering telegrams, running a movie theater, and writing checks at the grain elevator. He attended Fordham University in New York City. While there he developed life long passions for chess, bridge, and opera. After graduating he was drafted by the US Army in 1952. He served as a military laboratory technician at the 98th General Hospital in Germany. After the army he went to graduate school at the University of North Dakota and later the University of Minnesota, studying Microbiology. He met his future wife, Mary Pearson, there. They were married in 1958. In 1961 George earned his Phd and accepted a position at the University of Washington.
George and his growing family settled in the Madrona neighborhood where they lived for 53 years. They were members of St. Therese parish where their children attended school. George valued the many and diverse friends they had in Madrona. His children remember the constant , supportive, and loving presence of their father. They spent many weekends working in the yard and many nights playing board games with him. The yearly car trips back to North Dakota and Minnesota to visit cousins and grandparents were memorable.
In 1961 George joined the Department of Preventive Medicine of the Medical School, University of Washington. When the department was transformed into a School of Public Health in 1970, he became chairman of the newly formed Pathobiology Department, a position he held for 21 years. When the Pathobiology Phd program was transferred to the Department of Global Health, he became a member of that faculty and retired from it in 2003.
Along with colleagues, students and fellows he was an author of 158 peer reviewed scientific articles, 55 book chapters and invited publications and 102 abstracts of presentations given at national and international scientific meetings. His research included studies of the biology, immunology and epidemiology of agents of infectious disease (mycoplasmas, rhinoviruses, coronaviruses as well as other agents.)
He was a member of the American Academy of Microbiology, Infectious Disease Society of America, American Society for Microbiology and the International Organization for Mycoplasmology. He received the Kimble Methodology Award from the American Public Health Association and was a distinguished alumnus of the University of North Dakota. He was chair of the Archdiocese of Seattle Education Board ca. 1980-82, and a member of the Boards of the Seattle Youth Symphony and Holy Names Academy.
George is survived by Mary, his loving wife of 64 years; his children, Frank (Ellen), Michael (Jeannie), Maureen, John (Tara), and Edward (Jennifer); his 7 grandchildren, Thomas, Nancy, Spencer, Nicholas, Gordon, Mitchell, and Frances, and 4 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Anna, brother James, sister Frances, and daughter Beth.
Remembrances can be made to : Holy Names Academy, 728 21rst Ave East, Seattle, WA 98112 att. Beth Kenny ’81 Scholarship; or UW Foundation ,UW Gift Services, Box 359505,Seattle WA 98195 att. Kenny Pathobiology Fellowship
Funeral Mass will be held Friday, November 4th at 12:10pm at
St. James Cathedral
804 9th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104
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