George Glen Prietto

1931 - 2023

Kumeyaay Native, Sycuan Tribal Elder, Father, Brother, Uncle, Grandfather, Great Grandfather, and Loving Friend
George Glen Prietto, Sycuan tribal elder, passed away peacefully at his home on April 27, 2023. He was 92 years old.
Mr. Prietto is survived by his wife of 25 years, Mrs. Terri Prietto, his son Elvis, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He is predeceased by his sister Anna Prietto Sandoval and his daughter Florene.
George was born on January 26, 1931, at the Soboba Indian Hospital. He moved to the Sycuan Reservation and attended Dehesa School and Grossmont High School.
Before he was eighteen, he joined the U.S. Army where he served with distinction during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged after four years of service in the infantry.
After his military service he performed many different roles to earn a living. He was a proud farmworker in Yuma picking lettuce in the sun, and would then train-hop to Lodi to pick grapes. After years of painstaking labor, he transitioned to driving big-rig trucks for many years.
Eventually, returning to the reservation after spending time in both Mexico and Phoenix, George helped found the Sycuan Fire Department with Hank Murphy. He served as a dedicated firefighter on the reservation for many years. George also transported patients for the Southern Indian Health Clinic, where he was celebrated by many family and friends when he retired.
Preserving and teaching the Kumeyaay language was George's primary concern. He dedicated himself to teaching the language to hundreds of youth and stressed the importance of family values and celebrating indigenous culture.
George loved spending time with his life-long friends including Kenny Meza, Leroy Elliott, Paul Cuero, Jr., Steve Banegas and Bobby Wallace. His family meant everything to George, especially his marriage to Terri and spending time with his nephews Raymond and Joe Sandoval.
A traditional Kumeyaay clothes-burning will take place beginning at dusk on April 30, 2023, on the Sycuan Reservation. An all-night wake will occur at dusk on May 5, 2023, at the Sycuan church followed by burial at the Sycuan cemetery on May 6, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.