George Irvin Windes

George passed away in his home on December 2, 2014 from cardiac arrest. His birth mother Evelyn Freeman and the mother who would raise him Grace Bertha Semrow preceded him in death, as did his father John Windes. George was born on May 22, 1940, followed a few moments later by his lifelong "closest friend and ally," his twin brother John Howell Windes, whom he described as his "sterling diadem of a brother". He is survived by John and his half-brother Len Pyatt. He was married for twenty years to Vicki Phillips and they had five children, Julie Grochmal, Diane Kaline, Spencer Windes, Craig Windes and Scott Windes. He had fourteen grandkids and three great grandkids with one more on the way. He worked for forty-three years in the aerospace industry for North American Aviation, Rockwell International and the Boeing Company, holding various positions and high-level security clearances. He was proud of the work he did and the retirement package it brought him when he turned in his badge at sixty-eight. One of George's passions was collecting, starting when he was young with rocks and gems, accompanied by John, "his right hand man." Years later and with five children to provide for he turned his obsession into a source of income by finding antiques and collectibles and selling them in different shops and flea markets. He could tell you the story, sometimes fabricated, behind everything he sold! He loved Mission Arts & Crafts furniture and California pottery. George's true life's work was in family history. He loved and cared for his ancestors and refused stubbornly to let them fade from memory. He researched his family line exhaustively, going back centuries, helping many others also discover their own. He was most proud of his Native American heritage. In his later years he became heavily involved in the California Muscogee Creek Association, which he lead for a year. He made sure his children and grandchildren were enrolled in the tribe and encouraged to participate in their heritage. He made too many friends to count. He wrote a wonderful column in the Muscogee Nation News for three years based on his vast knowledge of family history and Native culture. Dad once wrote "I descended from a noble warriorI never had to go to warI have held my descendants in my arms, down to my great grandchildrensweet!" A "laugh-filled memorial service" in his honor will take place on December 20th, 2014 from 1-3pm at Santiago Oaks Regional Park 2145 North Windes Drive, Orange CA 92869.