Vincent Lawrence George

December 22, 1945 - April 24, 2024

Vincent Lawrence George, 78, passed away peacefully in his apartment in Chicago after a long and courageous fight with non-small lung cancer. Vince was born in December of 1945 in Batavia, New York to the late Lawrence B. and Mary Arlene George. From a young age, Vince worked alongside his father and other family members at George's Dairy, founded by Vince's grandparents Sylvester and Mary Petz George in 1929. To this day, Genesee County residents remember George's Dairy for its quality milk and ice cream delivered with pride by the George family. Young Vince discovered many of his truest passions at an early age, such as baseball, trains, westerns, eating, and teasing the people he loved, all of which he pursued vigorously the rest of his life. Graduating salutatorian at Elba Central School in 1963, he attended St. Bonaventure University, class of 1967, majoring in Accounting.

In 1967, Vince began a graduate degree as a proud member of the first MBA class at the University of Notre Dame, graduating in 1973. While in South Bend, he formed many of his strongest and longest-lasting friendships. After working at Price Waterhouse in Philadelphia from 1973-78, Vince moved to Dallas to work as Tax Director for the Trammell Crow Company, a leading commercial real estate developer. He remained there the next twenty years, working various leadership positions in venture capital and finance. In 1982, he met the love of his life, Cynthia Jean Johnston, who also worked long hours at Crow. While he admired her intelligence and passion for travel, Vince had never met someone who had made him laugh so hard-and those that knew Vince know that he lived to laugh. Cindy and Vince were soon engaged, and three weeks later they married in 1983.

Though Vince felt uncertain about becoming a father, the birth of his daughter, Erika Lynn, in October of 1986 he described as the greatest and most transformative moment of his life. The family moved to California in 1987, where Cindy and Vince managed the Trammell Crow Company office in San Francisco. The following year his son, Matthew Lawrence, was born. The family returned to Dallas in 1990, moving to their house on Velasco Avenue where they lived for the next thirty years. Vince's love of Cindy, Erika, and Matthew directed every decision he made in his personal and professional life. He traveled with them all over the world, but most especially treasured their lake house at Cedar Creek Lake, where he was often found drinking a margarita on the porch or lugging his children in a boat for hours at a time. Vince never passed up an opportunity to volunteer his time if it meant being with his kids, spending countless hours watching sports tournaments, driving across Texas to academic competitions, coaching the Math Olympiad team, eating lunch weekly with his children in their elementary school, holding a stop sign as a crossing guard, or simply driving them and their friends to the movies (and usually watching them). He possessed a gentleness and quiet love that resonated far beyond his family. In Lakewood, he was Dad to many.

For the final phase of his career, Vince brought his financial expertise in commercial real estate to Centex and then Panattoni Development Company, seizing the chance to live with Cindy in Paris for eighteen months before moving back stateside to retire in 2011. When not traveling the world (he and Cindy visited over 150 countries together), he traveled to his five grandchildren in San Antonio and Chicago, adoring them at zoos, museums, playgrounds, and even Chuck E. Cheese. In Dallas, he volunteered as an English teacher at Literacy Achieves, as well as a docent at the George W. Bush Library. He prized his weekly trivia contests at bars around Dallas, often leading his friends to victory-though he usually preferred to let others say the right answer even when he knew it first. A week after visiting his seventh and final continent (Antarctica) with Cindy, Vince was diagnosed with non-small lung cancer and immediately began treatment, fighting the disease for the next fourteen months until he passed away in his sleep. He died with no regrets.

Vince will especially be remembered for his dedication to Northridge Presbyterian Church, where he served as a Sunday school teacher, a member of the Session, a Deacon, a Trustee, a chaperone on youth mission trips, and a participant on five adult mission trips. He always considered his own parents' devotion to their church and faith, and so tirelessly worked to emulate them and improve the lives of others in his own faith community.

Vince's family would like to express their boundless thanks and gratitude to everyone who supported Vince in this final difficult year battling cancer. In particular we'd like to thank the medical staff at UT Southwestern and Northwestern Medicine, his friends at Northridge Presbyterian Church, his neighbors at Terrace House, and his caregiver in his final stages, Coprice Jones.

Vince was predeceased by his parents, his parents-in-law, James and Shirley Johnston, and Evelyn Johnston, his brother-in-law, Dr. John C. Gessner, his sister-in-law, Susan Johnston, and his niece, Nicole Wingate. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Cynthia Jean George, daughter Erika (Blake) Romney of San Antonio, TX and son Matthew (Claire) George of Chicago, IL, beloved grandchildren, Annie, Greyson, Ford, and baby Romney (expected in August), and Shirley and Eamon George. Vince is also survived by his sisters, Elizabeth (Joseph) Ivers of Houston, TX and Margaret George of Saint Paul, MN, his brother-in-law Randy (Carolyn) Johnston of Knoxville, TN, and seven nieces and nephews.

Vince was one-of-a-kind in his intelligence, generosity, and goodness. We love you, and still hear your laugh.

A memorial service will be held at Northridge Presbyterian Church (6920 Bob O Link Drive, Dallas, TX, 75214) on Friday, May 3rd, at 10am. A reception will follow in Quillin Hall. For those unable to travel, the service will be livestreamed here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYInnXr2caA). In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Northridge Presbyterian Church's "Memorials and Honoraria" page, typing Vince's name under "Please Specify." The link can be found here (https://secure.myvanco.com/L-Z4XC/campaign/C-12C93). In his final days, Cindy asked Vince if he wanted a bench or a tree or other memorial created in his honor at Northridge. "No," he said, "I want to pay down their damn debt." All donations will be forwarded accordingly.