Billy Frank George

These words defined the life of Billy Frank George (Bill or BG to his friends). Bill passed away at his home with his family by his side, holding his hands, on March 21, 2019.

Bill’s birth, on December 1, 1938 in Fillmore, Utah, heralded the Christmas season that year and every year since. For his family, the season didn’t really start until they had celebrated his birthday and had placed their bids on countless trees, wreaths, quilts and other Christmas “hoo-hah” (Bill’s words) at the annual Primary Children’s Hospital Festival of Trees.

In high school, Bill started as tailback on the football team and played clarinet in the marching band, which led to some amazingly quick uniform changes at half-time. He took his athletic skills to Brigham Young University where he was awarded a football scholarship. After his freshman year, he turned his talents to the track team where he threw the discus and shotput. To help pay for school he drove truck and played jazz piano at the Cinegrill in downtown Salt Lake City. He was very musical and played saxophone as well as guitar. At BYU, Bill met the love of his eternity, Shirley Lee Pizzuto Jarvis “Shirls”. They were married in the Salt Lake City Temple on August 25, 1960. During these years they built life-long friendships that are still ongoing.

Bill started his professional career with Phillips Petroleum and then became a trouble-shooter for Ford Motor Company. He was building a very successful career with Century 21 Real Estate when he got the wild idea to start a river company, “Bill George’s Green River Expeditions”. A few years later, he rounded up a couple of partners and purchased Western River Expeditions and together they turned it into one of the premier whitewater rafting companies in the world. Bill was especially loved by the people at Western River Expeditions because he treated all of his employees like family.

He was a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who served in many callings, including seven years as a beloved Bishop and 2 years as a missionary with Shirley in the Salt Lake Inner City Hispanic Branch Mission. Mostly, Bill served others without a specific assignment to do so. Many were touched by his kindness, limitless generosity, and spontaneous efforts on their behalf.

Bill lived and told the best stories and was the personification of “a life well-lived.” He often said, “There are no strangers, just friends we haven’t met yet.” He would strike up a conversation with anyone and within minutes would be laughing and exchanging stories with random “new friends”.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Rex Frank George and Carol Rasmussen George. He is survived by his brother Randall, his wife Shirley, children, Dena Merrill (Brian), Russell George (Barbara), Tiffany George (Ben Hanel), Rebecca George, and eleven grand children: Taylor Merrill, Dylan Merrill, Caden Merrill, Madeline George (Alex Berrett), Jack George, Garrett George, Tabitha Hanel, Alexandra Pehrson (Andrew), Conley Watts, Stella Watts, Milo Watts, and great grandson, Griffin Pehrson.

Services will be held on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at the Butler Stake Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 7035 S. Nutree Dr. Salt Lake City, Utah.

The family invites you to stay for lunch and to share short memories and stories of Bill.

Visitation: 10:00 – 11:45 a.m.

Funeral Service: 12:00 p.m.

Lunch and Stories of Bill (open mic): 1:00-2:30 p.m.

Internment at Wasatch Lawn Cemetery: 3:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family would love to receive your favorite stories, photos and memories of Bill. You can email memories to [email protected] or simply honor him by being extra generous with your time, service, abundance and smiles. It was in sharing his considerable talents and means that Bill was truly happy.