George Marquis POPE

1928 - 2016

POPE, George Marquis
Sept. 4, 1928 - March 13, 2016

George Marquis Pope joined our Heavenly Father on Sunday, March 13, 2016, at 3:30 pm. He was a faithful friend, a devoted husband, and a loving father. George was born on September 4, 1928, at Santa Rosa Hospital in San Antonio, TX, the first child of Marquis and Mary Turner Pope, soon joined by a younger sister, Frances Pope. He attended junior high school in San Antonio and moved to Newton Center, Massachusetts, with his sister, Fran, when he was 13. After graduating from Newton High School in 1946, he moved to San Antonio and lived with his Uncle Joe and Aunt Ruth McShane while attending Saint Mary's University. He later attended Boston University where he ran cross country and track. On September 15, 1948, George enlisted in the U.S. Navy and attended Aviation Electronics school in Millington, TN, after which he joined Patrol Bomber Squadron VP-45 (Seaplane Martin Mariner) in Norfolk, VA, where he served as a radio and radar technician on a PBM. His squadron was reassigned to the Panama Canal Zone, where they flew patrols from Panama to Trinidad and Halifax, Nova Scotia. After his discharge on September 5, 1952, George attended the University of the South (Sewanee) on the Cumberland Plateau in Sewanee, Tennessee. As a summer job, he worked for the US. Forestry Service cutting timber on campus and enjoyed it so much that he decided to major in forestry. After George graduated from Sewanee in 1955, Bowater Incorporated hired him to find pulp wood providers for its plant in Catawba, SC. After a year in Catawba, George was transferred to Bowater's Jamestown, NC, office. While in living in nearby High Point, he met a young neighbor named Mary Frazier. Mary and George were married on November 30, 1963, in Leland, Mississippi, Mary's hometown. Mary and George had two daughters, Anne Royall Pope, and Virginia "Gigi" Marquis Pope. In 1967, Bowater transferred George to its Catawba Timber Company facility in Rockingham, NC, to serve as District Forester. The family lived in Rockingham for 11 years, during which George volunteered with the Rotary Club, serving as president of the local chapter. He also served as an Ordained Elder for First Presbyterian Church of Rockingham. In 1979, Bowater transferred George back to its Catawba plant, and the family moved to nearby Fort Mill, SC. In Fort Mill, he volunteered with the United Way, Unity Presbyterian Church, and the Fort Mill High School Marching Band Booster Club. After working for Bowater for 38 years, George retired in 1994. In 2001, he and Mary moved to Sun City Georgetown, TX, where he enjoyed visiting with neighbors, playing bridge, and walking his dog, Heidi, on the beautiful nature trails. While living in Georgetown, he served as a Stephen Minister and as an Elder for First Presbyterian Church of Georgetown. George is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mary Frazier Pope; daughter and son-in-law, Anne Pope Shanks and Wayne Martin Shanks; daughter and son-in-law, Virginia Marquis Pope Batt and Theodore Lewis Batt III; three grandchildren, Duncan Frazier Batt, Christopher George Shanks, and Gillian Grace Batt; as well as many cousins. A graveside service will be held on Friday, April 1, 2016 at 11:30 a.m. at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. A celebration of George's life will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Georgetown on Sunday, April 3, 2016, at 2:00 pm. George's remains will be interred at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery on a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages memorial donations to First Presbyterian Church of Georgetown, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), and Hospice Austin.

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Arrangements with
PORTER LORING MORTUARY NORTH
2102 NORTH LOOP 1604 EAST
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78232 - (210) 495-8221