George Edward Stetson

George Edward Stetson
CHAPEL HILL -- Mr. Stetson, age 77, originally of Bloomsburg, PA, passed away Wednesday, January 18, 2006.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Teresa Stetson and son, John Edward Stetson.
George was born November 8, 1928 in Oil City, PA, the son of George Arthur and Cecil Edwards Stetson. His family moved to West Chester, PA where he spent his childhood. He married Mary Teresa Murphy of Galway, Ireland on April 30, 1954, in Patuxent River, MD.
George graduated from West Chester High School as student body president in 1946. He received his BA in Arts and Literature from Yale University in 1950. At Yale, he lettered in Varsity Crew, was active in the Players Drama Club and was a member of the Whiffenpoofs a cappella group. After graduating from Yale, he joined the Navy and served as a Lt Pilot and navigator and was a member of the Navy Choir. He received his Masters degree in History from the University of Delaware and his PhD in Geography from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. During his career, he taught military history at Frederick College in Portsmouth, VA, was curator of the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, VA, and was a professor of Geography at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA and Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, PA.
George was a kind hearted, gentle man who always found pleasure in the simple joys of life. To his family, he was a devoted husband and father. As a professor, he was known for his engaging teaching style and quick wit. He was active in the Catholic Church both as a Eucharistic minister and Sunday school teacher. In his personal life, he enjoyed military history, collecting toy soldiers, exploring different cultures and historic preservation.
He is survived by his children Mary Elizabeth Stetson of Santa Fe, NM, George Arthur Stetson of Altadena, CA, Katherine Ann Stetson of Efland, NC, and Alice Stetson O'Bryan of Winnetka, IL, and his sister, Elizabeth Stetson Dowd of Charlotte, NC. He is also survived by his loving grandchildren, Erin Reines Einbender, Bennett Stetson Einbender, Jaquelin Brooke Einbender, John Ellery Stetson, Geoffrey Edward Stetson, William Stetson O'Bryan, George Robert O'Bryan, Charles Ellery O'Bryan and Edward Arthur O'Bryan.
A small family service was held January 20, 2006 in Chapel Hill, NC at Church of the Cross. An inurnment will take place at the family mausoleum in Greenville, PA. Memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation.