George Sampson Nalle III

George was born on September 13, 1945, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the eldest son of George S. Nalle Jr. and Anne Byrd (Woods) Nalle. George spent his entire life living in the Westlake area. His childhood homes were in Rollingwood and on Bunny Run Road at Lake Austin. He attended elementary and middle school in the Eanes school district. He graduated from St. Stephen’s Episcopal High School in 1963. George attended the University of Texas at Austin where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration. He was a proud ROTC college student during the tumultuous 1960s. While at UT, George was set up on a blind date with Carole Susan Gasaway. On a college budget, George and Carole dated at some of Austin’s finest - Dirty Martin’s Place on the Drag, Nau’s Enfield Drugstore, Huts Hamburgers, and Frisco’s. They fell in love and the rest was history.

George and Carole were married in Houston on June 29, 1968, in St. Luke’s Methodist Chapel. George, a first lieutenant, attended military officer training at Fort Devens, where Carole and George made their first home in Ayer, Massachusetts. They were later transferred to Okinawa, Torii Station, where George worked in Army intelligence supporting US efforts in Vietnam. George often recounted that living in Japan was the happiest time in both their lives. They immersed themselves in the culture and traveled extensively in Asia and later Europe. Their experience in Okinawa translated into a lifetime of admiration for Asian art, artifacts and history. George spent years educating himself about different kinds of swords, tsuba and menuki, the most famous Japanese swordsmiths, and the history of the samurai. His life was made full in his collection of these historic pieces and in acquiring new knowledge with each one. George was often sought out as an expert in Texas on Japanese swords.

George and Carole moved back to Austin and welcomed son Brian in 1970 and daughter Karey in 1972. George retired from the military in 1973 and went to work for his father and grandfather in the family business, Nalle Plastics. George traveled for Nalle Plastics and enjoyed opening the company’s Portland, Oregon manufacturing plant. He dabbled in real estate in the early 1970s, building a retail shopping center in San Antonio. This experience led him to embark on a new career in commercial real estate in the 1980s. George developed a large tract of land in Westlake that was known as the Dellana Ranch, which was bordered by MoPac, Bee Cave Road and Thousand Oaks subdivision. He and Carole spent years platting, planning and selling land in the subdivision they named Treemont. They were proud that the community included large luxury homes as well as smaller townhomes, garden homes, commercial space, retail and a park.

Above all, George’s passion was history. As the great grandson of Texas Governors James and Miriam Ferguson and a descendant of notorious Austin Mayor Joseph Nalle, he relished in Texas history. Even more than notable historical characters, he loved the historic buildings that shaped Austin. He believed in preservation to his core. In the 1980s, he was called about a Victorian, pier-and-beam home that was slated for demolition near UT campus. This call was the impetus for his favorite real estate project. George saved the home by moving it to his property on Bee Cave Road. Over the years, he found and moved eight homes from around the state dating from the 1880s-1920s to this property, carefully renovating each one into beautiful office space. George wanted to save the history but in a manner that would keep the structures useful for the future. George and Carole won a Preservation Austin Award for Heritage Square office park. George officed there until his death.

George and Carole were members of St. David’s Episcopal Church and before Covid, he enjoyed ushering on Sundays. He served on the Board of the Heritage Society of Austin (now Preservation Austin), the Knights of the Symphony, and the Austin History Center. He was a long-time member of the downtown Rotary Club of Austin and his favorite volunteer placement was working on the Rotary Club Scholarship Committee, which involved reading applications, interviewing high schoolers, and awarding grants for college tuition.

He was immensely proud of his high school alma mater, St. Stephen’s, and it meant the world to him that all four of his grandchildren followed in his footsteps to the same school. One of his best birthday memories was going to the observatory on campus with his grandchildren to look at the stars. He loved spending time outside and especially the peace he found being in the Texas Hill Country. He taught his kids and grandkids how to find arrowheads, fish, water ski, and shoot a rifle. George was a man of few words, as he often worked quietly on his stamp collections, but he could recite poetry at the drop of a hat, to everyone’s amusement. He was kind to a fault and always found the good in people, even in those who didn’t return him the favor. Despite many years battling Parkinson’s Disease, he will be remembered most for his good nature and generous heart.

George is survived by his son, Brian James Nalle and wife Karen Fricke Nalle; his daughter Karey Nalle Oddo and husband Chris Oddo; his cherished grandchildren Caroline Nalle, Garrett Nalle, Harrison Oddo, and Katherine Oddo; brothers Alan W. Nalle and William B. Nalle; nephews Bruce Brun, Alan Nalle Jr., and Jordan Nalle; nieces Andrea Brun Keeler, Laura Lea Nalle and Camille Nalle.

George was preceded in death just 111 days by his beloved wife of 56 years, Carole Gasaway Nalle; by his parents Anne Byrd and George Nalle Jr.; by his sister-in-law Sharon Brun and her husband Marcus Brun; by his sister-in law Christie Nalle; and a lifetime of cherished pets.

A private service celebrating George’s life is planned and his ashes will be interred at the family ranch. Donations in his honor may be made to The Rotary Club of Austin Scholarship Fund or St. Stephen’s Episcopal School.