George Robert Wheatcroft

George Robert Wheatcroft passed away peacefully surrounded by the family he cherished on November 6th, 2025. He bravely fought cancer for 18 months.

George was born to Robert and Edith (Jacobson) Wheatcroft and resided with his parents and brothers on the family ranch in Steve Fork, Montana. He was the oldest of four boys, often leading the brood in many rural adventures. The boys' education began in a one room schoolhouse that sat on the corner of the ranch. He lived with his Grandma Mabel while attending Garfield County High School; during high school he was offered a scholarship to Montana State University to pursue electrical engineering, completing his bachelor's and master's degree. George married the love of his life, Celestine "Tina" Dutton, in 1974. Together they raised two boys, Justin and Eric, who grew up believing every problem had a schematic and every day required a newspaper and life lessons.

A lifelong electrical engineer, George spent 45 years solving complex problems across the country. He began his career at FMC in Idaho where he became certified as a Professional Engineer. Then he carried his expertise to DuPont facilities in Louisiana, West Virginia, and Texas, designing and maintaining instrumentation and control systems that kept massive industrial hearts beating safely and efficiently. Colleagues remember a man dedicated to his trade that never met a problem he could not solve. As President of the Southeast Texas chapter of the International Society of Automation, he mentored dozens of young engineers, always with a thermos of black coffee and his favorite refrain: "Have you read the manual yet?".

Off the clock, George enjoyed the pageantry and camaraderie of the Krewe of Cesar, the Mardi Gras Krewe based in New Orleans, fly fishing, skiing, and camping. His garage smelled of solder flux, 10W-40, and his project car, a classic 1968 MGB, perpetually "one weekend away" from perfection. He taught his boys how to drive a stick shift in the "BEE", and they learned fractions by helping him count degrees on a timing light as he dialed in 10° BTDC on the old Dodge van. Later in life, faith in Christ became very important and was a cornerstone for him in navigating through hardships. He would often remind those close to him, "In the end nothing really matters but your faith."

George is preceded in death by his son Justin Robert, grandparents, parents, brothers Joseph Scott and Richard Brian. He is survived by his wife Celestine; son Eric and daughter in law Julie, and grandchildren Ian, Hazel, and Conor; brother John Bradley, mother-in-law Daisy, brother and sister-in-laws and generations of nieces, nephews, and their spouses.

A Celebration of George's life will be held Friday, November 14th, 2025, with visitation starting at 9:30 a.m. & Funeral Service at 10:30 a.m. at the VFW Hall in Jordan, MT. A luncheon will immediately follow the funeral service at the VFW Hall. Interment will follow at 2:00 p.m. at Steve Fork Cemetery in Sand Springs.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Sand Springs Community Church or simply performing one small act of kindness. George Wheatcroft didn't just keep the lights on; he made sure no one ever sat in the dark.