George F. Lezenby

George F. Lezenby, 97, husband of the late Marie A. "Mimi" (Bagster-Collins) Lezenby, passed away on Monday, July 14, 2025 at Elm Terrace Gardens. The son of the late John Wallce Lezenby and Agnes (Brooks) Lezenby, George was born in 1928 and grew up in Vineland, New Jersey, the youngest of three sons. His father worked as a taxi driver and then a postal worker. His mother taught elementary school. He graduated from Vineland High School in 1945 and, motivated by patriotism, rushed to join the Merchant Marines even before he was quite legal age. After the war ended, he signed up for the Navy in February,1946 and was stationed in Guam until 1947. He studied at Drexel University in Philadelphia from September 1948 through June,1953. He graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration. A week after graduating, he married Mimi Bagster Collins on June 20 th. They were married for 70 years, raised 4 children, and traveled the world together. Throughout his life, George played an active role in his community. As a member of the congregation at Saint Dunstan's Episcopal Church in Blue Bell, he served 4 terms on the vestry, assisted the deanery as accountant, and sang for many years with the choir. He served on the Whitpain School Board beginning in 1964, and, following school consolidation, on the Wissahickon School Board from 1966 to 1971. He was the first treasurer and fourth president of the Wissahickon School Board. With hope of creating more job opportunities for high school students who could not attend college, he championed creation of the North Montgomery Vocational-Technical School and then served on its board and building committee. Having grown up in a working-class home and community with little access to books, George served on the Wissahickon Library Board from 1971 to 1977, acting as president the last two years. Throughout his life, George advocated for human rights. He spoke out for equal treatment of African Americans students in the schools where he was on the board, for integration of his church's congregation, and for the rights of gay people to serve as ministers in the Episcopalian church. He also gave generously to nonprofits that provided for people in need. George was a world traveler and visited 52 countries and all 50 US states. His family fondly remembers their trip cross country by train during the hippie Summer of Love. In 1999, he and Mimi sailed around the world on a University at Sea program, along with college students and an MTV crew. This journey took them to countries which, at the time, few Americans visited, such as Cuba, South Africa, China, and Vietnam. During a very special trip, George hiked across England with fellow Episcopalians, visiting churches named, like the one of which he was a congregant, after St. Dunstan. He loved photography and has left a legacy of thousands of photos on his Flickr account. His favorite subjects were flowers, and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society sold books of his photographs at their annual flower shows. He and Mimi often worked as volunteers for this event. For many years, he was the editor and photographer of the Elm Terrace Gardens Newsletter for which he wrote encouraging and philosophical editorials. He was an avid stamp collector, a hobby he adopted during WWII when he discovered discarded envelopes with stamps from around the world in the trash at the post office where his father worked. He also liked to play bridge, helped his shuffleboard team at Elm Terrace win a championship, and was a fierce competitor at Scrabble. Surviving are children: Connie Lezenby, wife of Rev. Dr. Charles Mansfield, Kathryn Lezenby, Richard Lezenby, and Christopher Lezenby, husband of Eloise Flood; 6 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Along with his wife and parents, he is predeceased by his brothers John W. Lezenby Jr., and Alfred J. Lezenby. A graveside service will be held on September 30, 2025 at 11:00 A.M. at Washington Crossing National Cemetery, 830 Highland Rd, Newtown, PA 18940 with Military Honors. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in George's name to Manna on Main Street, PO Box 763, Lansdale, PA 19446.