George Harlow Bare

Bare George Harlow Bare, age 70, passed away in Bonita Springs on April 18, 2013 after a courageous two-year battle with gastric cancer. A resident of Columbus, Ohio, and Bonita Springs, Florida, he was surrounded by his family and the natural beauty of his beloved southwest Florida coastline. George was born on November 13, 1942 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland to Katherine Jean Harlow Bare and George Schaeffer Bare. A sister, Cresson Harlow, soon followed. Some of George's childhood was spent in Europe and Asia as the family traveled with the service. The early exposure to foreign cultures provided him with a life-long appreciation of various cuisines, culture and art. After the family's return from abroad, George went on to study chemistry at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served in the US Navy in Charleston, South Carolina and Vietnam. During George's naval career, he visited his parents, who were staying in an apartment in Cincinnati. His mother had often noticed a young woman doing her wash at a regular day in the building's laundry room. When George arrived for a visit, his mother suggested that he do his wash that day; George followed his mother's recommendations. A short while later, he returned to the apartment and excitedly told his mother that he had just met pretty nurse in the laundry room. The "accidental" meeting turned into a marriage on July 9, 1966, to Catherine Anne Dunkle, of Columbus, Ohio. Anne traveled with George to naval bases along the west coast during the early years of their marriage. Their first daughter, Melissa Cresson, was born in California. A second daughter, Jennifer Allison, was born in Columbus, Ohio, following George's departure from the Navy. The family remained in Columbus, and George received a PhD from The Ohio State University in Physical Biochemistry. He retired from Abbott Laboratories as Divisional Quality Assurance Laboratory Manager. George had four grandchildren, Katherine Marie Evans (Kara), Emily Anne Evans (Emmy), Zachary Thomas Evans (Zach), and Daniel Joseph Harlow Sullivan (Danny). George was deeply attached to his grandchildren, and cared for them daily, spending hours with them at the Upper Arlington parks. He became a great influence in their lives, teaching them kindness, and encouraging their curiosity about science and the world around them. Gifted with an extraordinary intellect, George had an equally extraordinary number of interests. He was known to be as gifted at fixing computers as he was a British Leyland car. George loved history, and was fond of winning political arguments with a memory of historical facts that rivaled that of a textbook. He had an unending fascination with nature, and could not only recognize every species of animal, but could cite their diets, habitats, lifespan and daily routine. Often seen sitting by a body of water, many people mistakenly thought George was relaxing when he was actually staring into the water to get a look at the underwater wildlife. This often resulted in him pulling something out of the water. One daughter was shocked during an aquarium visit when, with people milling about, George reached into a tank to pull out a horseshoe crab; he was never one to miss an opportunity. George dedicated his life to his family. He leaves behind a legacy of strong ethics and self-discipline. He believed that knowledge was key to understanding the world around him, and he instilled that in his children and grandchildren. He will be missed dearly by his wife and family. The family will be forever grateful to Florida Cancer Specialists in Bonita Springs for both their care and caring during his illness. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 4 at 10 a.m. at The Church at Mill Run at 3500 Mill Run Dr., Hilliard, OH 43026. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be sent to Upper Arlington Lutheran Church or Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation, 4371 Veronica S. Shoemaker Blvd., Fort Myers, Florida, 23916 or through https://foundation.flcancer.com/donate SHIKANY'S BONITA FUNERAL HOME, (239) 992-4982, Bonita Springs, Florida.