George M. McFarland

George M. McFarland
Bay City, Michigan
George M McFarland, 69, a good and faithful servant has returned home to the Lord on Monday, July 28, 2025, at Brian's House in Essexville. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend.
Born on December 8, 1955, in Bay City, Michigan, George was the son of the late Elmer and Viola (Rivard) McFarland. It was in Bay City that he met the love of his life, Catherine J. Christiansen, on a bus ride home from Skill Center during high school. Cathy swears it was her orange skirt that caught his eye-George claimed it was simply the only seat left. However it began, their love story spanned more than 50 years, including 47 years of marriage.
Together, George and Cathy raised some of their favorite humans; their beloved children: Stephanie (Brent) Larive, Emily (Terry) Atkins, Christopher (Lorie) McFarland, Susan (Gregory) Haight-Johnson, Benjamin (Sarah) McFarland, and Elizabeth McFarland. He was preceded in death by their son, Johnathan Miller-McFarland.
George was a man of many passions. He could often be found pedaling his bike along the riverwalk, birdwatching in the park, tending to his garden (and defending it from accusations of weeds), playing chess, or enjoying breakfast with his McDonald's crew. A skilled carpenter and true "Mr. Fix-It," George was always ready to lend a hand or share a thoughtful conversation about life, right and wrong, or the big questions-like, "Where are you going to be in 100 years?"
If his children were some of his favorite humans, his grandchildren were the ones that brought joy to him. Sommer, Emma, Logan, Mason, Ava (Larive), Lauren, Lily (Atkins), Joseph, Bradley, Louis (McFarland), Maxwell, Lillian, AJ, Georgia (Haight-Johnson), Gabriel, and Zachary (McFarland). George always loved a good laugh. He said, "I want them to remember the laughter."
George is also survived by his siblings: Jerome McFarland, Paul (Lynn) McFarland, Mary Graveline, Joan Trombley, and Janet (Duane) Hamling; his in-laws: John (Kirsten) Christiansen, Patrick Hughes, William Wittbrodt, Rex Stein, Terrie (Dan) DeWaele, and Mary (Tim) Tompkins; and many cherished nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his son Johnathan, his brother Jim McFarland, and sisters Kay Wittbrodt, Dolores Hughes, and Ann Stein, as well as his in-laws Roy and Jackie Christiansen and two brother in laws, Art Trombley and Roy Graveline.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at 11:00 AM at Corpus Christi Parish – Holy Trinity Church, 1000 S. Wenona Street, Bay City, MI 48706. Family and friends may visit at Squires Funeral Home, 211 N. Henry Street, Bay City, MI 48706, on Wednesday, August 6, from 2:00 to 8:00 PM, and at the church on Thursday after 10:00 AM. A Parish Vigil Service will be held Wednesday at 6:00 PM at the funeral home.
Those wishing to honor George's memory may consider a donation to Brian's House Community Group, 664 W. Nebobish Road, Essexville, MI 48732. To share a memory, photo, or to plant a tree in George's name, please visit squiresfuneralhome.com.