George T Olmstead

Born April 30th, 1944, George was the son of George Tracy Olmstead Jr. and Julie Beckett Olmstead. George grew up in Savannah, Georgia, enjoying time with his grandparents and life on 45th Street. Among friends and family, ever outgoing George enjoyed the perfect childhood from Charles Ellis School to Country Day. George was so proud of his parents and grandparents.

His grandfather opened his first Savannah medical practice in 1916. His father graduated from the University of Georgia and the Medical College of Augusta and taught at the University of Georgia. His father’s practice took him to Augusta, where he taught. His mother also enjoyed a career that was very impressive in her day.

Young George began an outstanding career in sports during his high school years, where he was also the sports editor of the annual. He lettered in football and excelled in basketball, where he was the most valuable player and captain of the team. In track, he was first in the 880-yard run in the city, first in the high jump, and second in high hurdles for the state.

Graduating from Country Day in 1963, George went on to college at the University of Georgia, where he pledged Kappa Alpha, just as his father had. George was a dedicated fraternity brother, becoming an officer in his senior year. While there, he continued his participation in sports, playing intramural football, basketball, and tennis. He was a walk-on for the basketball team his freshman year. At the recommendation of his stepfather, Judge Lionel Drew of Savannah, he attended law school.

Moving to Atlanta to enter the training program at C&S Bank, George married Lilla Calhoun, and the couple had three sons: Lionel Drew, George Tracy, and Jonathan Calhoun Olmstead. While in Atlanta, he became an officer in the bank and was later transferred to Savannah, his hometown. There again, George participated in the community and was recognized by the local chamber as the Outstanding Young Man of the Year. During his time at the bank, he provided loans to Jim Williams, the antique dealer made famous in the book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”

In the beginning days of the development of Amelia Island, George and his young family moved there to help provide insurance for the new homes being built on the island. His experience in insurance began as a business partner with Remer Lane in Savannah. The foundation of his successful insurance career on Amelia Island led him to Jacksonville. He was then recruited by Johnson and Higgins and moved to Atlanta to spend the rest of his life.

After meeting Amanda Brown at the Atlanta Steeple Chase in the spring of 1978, the couple married shortly thereafter on August 25th, 1978, and began a fabulous lifelong journey together.

His next career chapter took off after meeting Brian Blackshaw and entering the executive search business. Blackshaw Olmstead was launched in the late seventies at a time when a tight labor market demanded strong senior leadership and high-level executive talent.

The firm saw growth and became Blackshaw, Olmstead, Lynch, and Konig LLC. By the mid-1990s, the Atlanta-based firm acquired clients from California, New York, and Boston, as well as throughout the southeast region. The client list read like a who’s who of blue-chip corporate America.

From the entertainment industry to financial services, healthcare, and the e-commerce economy, the firm excelled. After becoming a member of the international consortium Transearch, the firm was purchased by Boyden, where Olmstead remained a senior partner. Olmstead Lynch and Curtis was his last firm, retiring in 2021 upon being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Active in the community, George was a member of the boards of Young Audiences, Very Special Arts, the Young Men’s Round Table of the High Museum, the Piedmont Park Conservancy, and the Georgia Conservancy.

Enjoying life in the Brookwood Hills neighborhood of Atlanta, Amanda and George raised a family of three children, Vanessa Kathleen, Olivia Blake, and Frederick Jamieson Olmstead.

George particularly loved his family vacations, whether on Lake Rabun, Sea Island, a dude ranch in Colorado, or a weeklong stay in a remote village in Italy. They were always fun because of George’s playful personality. George and Amanda loved their time in Europe, with much of it spent during the years Amanda owned the YSL Boutique, where George would play the role of assistant in buying the collection.

Even after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2021. George continued to walk his two beloved dogs, Archie and Chancey, every day until recently. A day never went by without a special treat from the chocolate chip cookie jar. He also enjoyed his daily chocolate Chick-fil-A milkshakes, no toppings, except on Sunday.

When his daughter, Blake, attended Oldfield School, George became an active board member and took great pride in presenting an award to Blake before the board.

He loved his nicknames for his children when they were young: “Nurse Ness,” “Blake the Snake,” and “Jaemo.” Always full of fun and energy, he loved cheering on his Georgia Bulldogs and displayed his loyalty through black velvet UGA logo shoes worn on every black-tie occasion.

He treasured his 1/18 partial ownership in Belle, the 78-foot yacht that his family enjoyed two or three times a year, taking trips along the East Coast from New England to the Bahamas. On a few special weekends, Belle docked in the inland waterway to attend the Georgia-Florida game.

As a member of All Saints Episcopal Church, he served on the vestry and was treasurer. Along with his wife, Amanda, he served as a Sunday School teacher for their three children’s confirmation classes and other adult classes with various subjects. He was a member of EFM and served on the annual canvas committee.

Fascinated by his heritage, George delved deeply into his history, becoming an active member of the Society of the Colonial Wars. He was so proud that his family had come from England to America in 1632 on the ship Lyon and that his ancestors were traced back to 1242. The Society of Colonial Wars became a major focus of his civic activities. George helped build the organization and became the head of the Atlanta Chapter as Lieutenant Governor of the Society of Colonial Wars for the State of Georgia.

Throughout his adult life, George continued to excel in sports, particularly tennis, where he won numerous awards and trophies that filled the library shelves at 274 Paces Ferry, the Olmsteads’ home for 22 years. He was a member of the Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta and the Oglethorpe Club in Savannah, where the couple had a second home. Shortly after purchasing the 1850 historic home in Savannah, George became a member of the Board of the Savannah Music Festival and once again became active in the community.

Throughout his life, he accomplished much in business in business and in pleasure, such as winning the Men’s over 65 Doubles Championship at the Piedmont Driving Club. But more than that, he was a loving, family-oriented father and grandfather. He will be remembered for his outstanding sense of humor, his flirtatious personality, and the quick wit that made George a delight for all who knew him.

In his wife’s presence, he was often seen flirting with other women and saying, “call me.” When a photographer came to photograph the couple or a group, Olmstead always said, “How about some of just me?” One of the most endearing of his quips was “I was born at an early age.” Dapper and well-mannered Olmstead was the epitome of a southern gentleman, with an incredible sense of humor and style.

In addition to his wife Amanda, George is survived by sisters Mary Martha Olmstead and Julie Beckett Olmstead, his five children George Tracy Olmstead Jr. (Kathy), Jon Calhoun Olmstead (Jill), Vanessa Olmstead McCulley (Colby), Blake Olmstead Mavrogeorgis (Peter), and Frederick Jamieson (Melissa), and his grandchildren, Nate, Nicholas, Julia, Julian, and Evangeline, sister and brother-in-Law, Adele and Dan Tyler, and nephews and nieces, Roddy Ovetsky, Sam Ludden, Elise Tyler, and William Tyler.

In addition to his parents, those who preceded him in death included his son, Drew Olmstead, and grandson Lowell Olmstead.

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, November 18, at 2:00 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church, 634 W Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30308. The service will also be livestreamed via the All Saints Episcopal Church website. If you wish, donations in his memory can be made to the Society of Colonial Wars (SOCW), Atlanta, Georgia Conservancy, or All Saints