George Barcus Rockwell

George Barcus Rockwell, age 99, of Needham, MA, formerly of Wellesley and Weston, passed away peacefully before dawn on November 27, 2025 at North Hill Senior Community. He had led an active, independent life until his fall in early September.

Loving husband for 66 years to the late Lois Ladd Rockwell and devoted father to Cynthia R. Randall and her husband Scott, of Winchester, MA and Susan R. Patten and her husband Malcolm, of Fort Collins, CO. Beloved Gramps to his cherished grandchildren Chris R. Patten, Mollie P. Carey, Jake R. Randall, and Lauren R. Randall. He also leaves 10 great grandchildren.

George grew up in Wabash, Indiana, where he excelled in academics and sports, leading him to Harvard College. He enlisted in the army in 1944 after his freshman year and rose to the rank of first lieutenant in the U.S. Army's 24th infantry division during the Second World War. Returning to Harvard he graduated in 1949, and later attended the Harvard Business School in the 1960s.

George spent 13 years with IBM Corporation in the areas of product management, sales and as a branch manager and was renowned for his expertise in the financial industry. In 1963 he joined the State Street Boston Financial Corporation to coordinate its data processing, corporate trust and mutual funds divisions. He rapidly rose to become the President, CEO and Vice Chair of the Board, where his vision of the bank as an information processing partner led to State Street's global prominence in custodial services. He was also instrumental as a VISA board member in bringing its first credit cards to Massachusetts. In 1976 George joined the Arthur D. Little Inc. consultancy in Cambridge, serving as Vice President and Managing Director of financial industries until his retirement in 1989.

Giving back to the community was important to George. He served as director of the United Way, MA, a trustee for Boston University Medical Center, and a board overseer for the Boy's Club of Boston. Most notably, he served for over three decades as a trustee and finance chair of the Lahey Clinic, helping them successfully execute their relocation from Boston to Burlington.

His years at Harvard were very important to him and he presided as the class chairperson of the Harvard Class of 1949 and oversaw their 70th Reunion. In 2020, at age 94, he put his energy into raising awareness and funds for Back from the Brink, a grassroots coalition working toward a world free of nuclear weapons and advocating for common sense nuclear weapon policies. He was driven by the desire to leave his great grandchildren a safer, saner world.

George was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather and a passionate man who loved his family, community and his golf game! A long-time member of Wellesley Country Club (and occasional trophy winner), George and Lois traveled the world playing challenging golf courses with friends and delighting in meeting new people. He was an outgoing, gregarious man, curious about the world and always ready to tell a good joke. George worked and played hard, and he was a man with a big heart who enjoyed his life, his family and his friends. He will be missed.

There will be a private celebration of George's life. Donations in George's memory can be made to Back from the Brink, www.preventnuclearwar.org or United Way of Massachusetts Bay, www.unitedwaymassbay.org.