96, of Tampa, passed away peacefully in his home on July 2, 2019 with his wife at his side. George was born in Atlanta, GA on July 17, 1922 to George and Eula Edmondson. He moved to Tampa in 1923 with his parents. The schools he attended in Tampa were Gorrie, Central Avenue Catholic, and the Academy of Holy Names. He graduated from Georgia Military Academy in 1941, where he was #1 on the golf team. He attended The Citadel in Charleston, SC for a year and a half. He left school to join the U.S. Navy and was a night fighter pilot (Hellcat) on a carrier, Air Group 13. He survived a crash landing in the Atlantic at night in 1944. He was aboard the USS Saratoga on its way to the Pacific when the war ended. After the war, George worked for several insurance agencies before joining his father at Edmondson & Co. and later Fickling & Walker until his retirement. George’s main hobby was being the in-stands cheerleader for the University of Florida football team. He was known as “Mr. Two Bits” for leading that famous cheer for 60 years. At U.F. he started a scholarship fund for the cheerleaders. He was a member of several organizations including the Rotary Club, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, and Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club where he was Handicap Match Play Champion twice. He was an avid golfer and was Secretary/Treasurer of the Florida State Senior Golf Association for many years. He was also a member of Christ the King Catholic Church. George is survived by his wife, Jane, of 44 years; son, George III (Roberta) of Tampa; daughter, Kathleen King (Fred) of Marietta, GA; grandsons, Robert Edmondson, and Chris and Kevin King; step son, Larry Rinaldi III; and great grandchildren, Kady and Kenley King, and Fletcher, Kramer, and Slater King. The family would like to thank the wonderful ladies who gave such loving care to George; Kim, Dina, Gabriela, Margaret and Xochil, also the Burgundy Team of Hospice, and Dr. Joel Silverfield. A celebration of life will be held at Palma Ceia Country Club on August 4, 2019 from 3pm-5pm. Contributions can be made in George’s name to the Mr. Two Bits Cheerleader Scholarship Fund c/o University of Florida Foundation, P.O. Box 14425, Gainesville, FL 33604 or to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
