Georgia DeWitt

Georgia Louise Short DeWitt, 91, peacefully passed away the afternoon of February 12, 2025. Georgia was born on Langley Field, Virginia, on January 17, 1934 to Colonel Ronald Harrington Short and Rita Gerstenberger Short. She was the first person born on Langley AF Base as a storm separated the base from the mainland, and Georgia would take that pioneering spirit with her throughout life.
Her childhood as the daughter of a dirigible pilot in the United States Army Air Forces resulted in long drives across the country with her mother and two younger siblings as they followed their father from coast to coast. Georgia and her family lived in Wilmington, North Carolina, Palo Alto, California, Washington state, and many other places with frequent stops in Hazleton, Iowa to visit the family of both parents. Upon retiring from the service, Colonel Short settled the family in San Antonio, where Georgia would later meet her husband, partner, and great love for nearly 68 years, Bill DeWitt.
Georgia attended high school in Mount DeSales, Minnesota and attended the University of Texas. She graduated in 1955 with a degree in fine art and education. After college, she taught art as well as music for two years at Hot Wells Junior High in San Antonio, where she received her first tattoo after being stuck with a pen containing green India ink.
In April of 1956 Georgia sat down next to dinner with a young pilot and his friend, both stationed at Lackland Air Force Base, that her sister brought home. Apparently, Bill and Georgia caught each other's eye and after a few months of courtship William Warren DeWitt proposed to Georgia Louise Short at Alamo Stadium overlooking downtown San Antonio. After what felt like over a minute (but was really less than a second), Georgia said yes and they were married on Saturday, June 15, 1957 at St. Paul's Catholic Church in San Antonio.
As a young wife, Georgia moved with Billy, a fighter pilot instructor, to the garden spots of Selma, Alabama and Laredo,Texas, where her first child was born. By 1959, their little family had moved to Alvin and Bill set to running the DeWitt Furniture Co. with Georgia as the manager and decorator. The two would run the furniture store together for 44 years. During those years, Georgia raised four children while managing the furniture store on her own as her husband flew C-130s for the Air Force. She learned to identify planes based on sound so she could wave to her husband flying overhead, proved herself a master seamstress by outfitting her children, grandchildren, and home in stunning creations, and maintained a graceful, caring, and loving hand throughout.
Georgia loved to travel and camp, a pastime she carried with her from a childhood spent exploring the woods of State College, Pennsylvania. The family took many road trips, tent camping along the way. They travelled from East Texas to Big Bend, from New Mexico to Colorado, up the west coast and into Canada. Along the way Georgia was the chef, cooking up big breakfasts of bacon, eggs, toast, and always strong black coffee. She was a passionate hiker, climbing up Guadalupe Peak in West Texas, Mount Rainier in Washington, and Mount LeConte one bitterly cold Halloween. This love of travel and exploration stayed with Georgia all her life as she travelled to Greece, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brazil, France, Germany, Russia, and many other countries with her adult children and grandchildren. At the age of 90, Georgia was still exploring, travelling up to Alaska for salmon and snow.
Georgia was an active member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, attending Adoration every Thursday for years, participating in parish council, and teaching CCD. She was even a charter member of the Catholic Daughters of America Court 2073 became the first Eucharistic Minister of the Alvin church. She also participated in the annual church festival, cutting up pounds of potatoes every year for her famous potato salad. Starting in 1988, Georgia and Bill were election judges for many years, maintaining the democratic process.
This devotion to her community and adopted city of Alvin had Georgia co-running the famous Tour de Braz bike ride with Billy, as she marked the route for the race every year and volunteered throughout the course. The pair's love of cycling and for each other took them all over the country to attend races, and they even graced the Indianapolis 500 track with their wheels together. Georgia was not always the leader in her marriage, but she was always Bill's devoted partner, driving alongside Billy in the van if she was unable to ride alongside him in the open.
Georgia is preceded in death by her mother Rita Gerstenberger Short and her father USAF Colonel Ronald Harrington Short. She is survived by her husband William Warren DeWitt, Jr.; children James Warren DeWitt, Ronald Anthony DeWitt, Rita DeWitt Edmonds, and Elizabeth Louise DeWitt Wibner; grandchildren Michael DeWitt Edmonds, Elizabeth Marie Edmonds, Gabrielle Louise Wibner, Nicole Marie Wibner, and Jillian Ann Wibner; and siblings Carolyn Martha Jennings and Susan Short Bolner, as well as many nieces and nephews.
There will be a visitation On Sunday, February 23, from 5-7 PM with a rosary to be recited at 7 PM at Scott Funeral Home in Alvin. A funeral mass will be celebrated Monday, February 24th, at 10:30 AM at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Alvin. Georgia's family will serve as pallbearers. Interment will take place immediately following the service at Confederate Cemetery in Alvin.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Catholic Daughters of America, Court 2073.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the Caring Country Cottage and Magnolia Hospice for their loving care.