George Tracy Olmstead

Atlanta - Our beloved George Tracy Olmstead III passed away peacefully on November 7 while at home surrounded by his loving family.

Born April 30th, 1944, George was the son of George Tracy Olmstead Jr. and Julie Beckett Olmstead. George grew up in Savannah, Georgia, enjoying time with his grandparents and life on 45th Street. Among friends and family, ever outgoing George enjoyed the perfect childhood from Charles Ellis School to Country Day. George was so proud of his parents and grandparents.

He began an outstanding career in sports during his high school years. He lettered in football and excelled in basketball, where he was the most valuable player and captain of the team. In track, he was first in the 880-yard run in the city, first in the high jump, and second in high hurdles for the state.

Graduating from Country Day in 1963, George went on to college at the University of Georgia, where he pledged Kappa Alpha, just as his father had. While there, he continued his participation in sports, playing intramural football, basketball, and tennis. He was a walk-on for the basketball team his freshman year.



After college, George married Lilla Calhoun, and the couple had three sons: Lionel Drew, George Tracy, and Jonathan Calhoun Olmstead. While living in Savannah, George participated in the community and was recognized by the local chamber as the Outstanding Young Man of the Year.

After moving to Atlanta to work in the insurance industry, he met Amanda Brown at the Atlanta Steeple Chase in the spring of 1978. The couple married shortly thereafter on August 25th, 1978, and began a fabulous lifelong journey together.

They raised a family of three children, Vanessa Kathleen, Olivia Blake, and Frederick Jamieson Olmstead.

George was a partner in the executive search firm of Blackshaw, Olmstead, Lynch, and Koenig LLC from the late 1970s to the early 2000s. Olmstead, Lynch, and Curtis was his final firm, retiring in 2021 upon being diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Fascinated by his heritage, George delved deeply into his history, becoming an active member and the Lieutenant Governor of the Georgia Chapter of the Society of the Colonial Wars. He was so proud that his family had come from England to America in 1632 on the ship Lyon and that his ancestors were traced back to 1242.

He was a member of the Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta and the Oglethorpe Club in Savannah, where the couple had a second home. Shortly after purchasing the 1850 historic home on Jones Street in Savannah, George became a member of the Board of the Savannah Music Festival and once again became active in the community.

In addition to his wife Amanda, George is survived by sisters Mary Martha Olmstead and Julie Beckett Olmstead, his five children George Tracy Olmstead Jr. (Kathy), Jon Calhoun Olmstead (Jill), Vanessa Olmstead McCulley (Colby), Blake Olmstead Mavrogeorgis (Peter), and Frederick Jamieson (Melissa), and his grandchildren, Nate, Nicholas, Julia, Julian, and Evangeline, sister and brother-in-Law, Adele and Dan Tyler, and nephews and nieces, Roddy Ovetsky, Sam Ludden, Elise Tyler, and William Tyler.

In addition to his parents, those who preceded him in death included his son, Drew Olmstead, and grandson Lowell Olmstead.

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, November 18, at 2:00 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church, 634 W Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30308. The service will also be livestreamed via the All Saints Episcopal Church website. If you wish, donations in his memory can be made to the Society of Colonial Wars (SOCW), Atlanta, Georgia Conservancy, or All Saints Episcopal Church.