Margie George

She was born December 2, 1918 in Newport, Kentucky to Elizabeth Heim Allen and Chester Allen. Older brother Boyd was her great friend and they were very close, often double dating as teens. They remained close even after marrying and having their own families.

Margie was proud to be named for her two aunts, her father's older sisters. Aunt Eleanor had written the hymn "The Beautiful Garden of Prayer" and Margie could sing every verse. (In fact, she sang it to the nurses when she was in rehab after a fall and broken hip in 2009.)

She enjoyed childhood visits to her grandmother's home in Illinois, meeting most of her mother's nine sisters and brothers, and she was especially close to cousin Bob Ziebold who was less than a month younger than her. As adults, Margie and Bob and their spouses often vacationed together.

Margie graduated from Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. After a short time at the University of Kentucky, she returned to Fort Thomas and worked in banking in Cincinnati. On April 6, 1940, she married her high school sweetheart, Bob George, who was also a banker. In Fort Thomas they were active members of Highland Methodist Church, serving as youth leaders in the 1940's after WWII.

In the 1950's they began vacationing in Ormond Beach, Florida. A job opening for Bob at a bank in Ormond gave them the opportunity to move there in 1960. Both loved the Florida outdoors, playing golf, enjoying the beach, hosting friends and relatives from the north, and entertaining. They became famous for their New Year's Eve parties with lots of games and contests followed by a sumptuous midnight breakfast buffet. Margie was always the gracious hostess.

Even in her 90's, Margie was concerned about others, making sure that her visitors had "enough food" and were comfortable. She always noticed others, was quick to return their smiles and greetings, and make compliments. She would say "You look so pretty today!" Margie was also so appreciative of her helpers, thanking them for being so kind to her.

In Ormond, Margie became quite a good golfer and won several trophies in her Oceanside Country Club group. She even achieved a hole in one. She and Bob always enjoyed fun times and hosted their own tournament, the "MARGIE" Margie And Robert's Golf Invitational Event for golfer and non-golfer friends. Challenges included making shots while on your knees, or with a bag over your head, or with one foot in a bucket. Afterwards, of course there was a party and great food.

They had quickly became involved in the community and had a wide circle of friends. They were active members of First United Methodist Church in Ormond. Margie volunteered at the Ormond Hospital. Later, she became a realtor and enjoyed meeting people and helping them find the right home. From 1976 to 1984, Margie served on the Ormond Beach Housing Authority.

Margie always loved dolls and was a friend and bookkeeper for a small doll shop owner in Daytona. She hand painted porcelain dolls and sewed clothes for them; she also made cloth dolls. She loved collecting dolls and had to buy a huge cabinet to display them all. She also loved making dolls and sewing for her one granddaughter. One year, granddaughter Jenny had three different ideas for an Easter dress and was surprised and delighted to find that her grandmother had made all three! The grandsons were not left out - she started with the first - knitting personalized Christmas stockings. She was working on the sixth when she discovered she would need a seventh right away because he was expected in early November and was a twin! She did not continue the stocking tradition with the great grandchildren, but she did sew for the twin boys and made twin dolls.

All the grandchildren enjoyed visits with their grandparents. Margie would make their favorite meals and play cards and board games; I don't think she ever succeeded in teaching anyone to play bridge but she was a very competitive Scrabble player.

A group of Ormond friends began traveling to North Carolina every summer for a week of golfing. So when Bob retired in the mid 1980's, they decided to build a summer home on Grassy Creek Golf Course in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. Margie drew the plans herself. For the next ten years, they spent every summer in the mountains entertaining friends and family and enjoying retirement. The George family gathered for a family reunion there in 1986 and Margie made hand painted favors for everyone who attended. There were so many places to go nearby that Margie was always on the go, packing a picnic lunch, planning which park, or craft show or antique shop or which scenic mountain road would be on the agenda. Many great memories were made of the vacations and get-togethers in the mountains, and family members continue that tradition today.

Margie was a blessing to all who knew her, a wonderful mother, grandmother, great grandmother

(GG or GiGi as she liked to be called). She was an early riser and in the morning you might find her reading the newspaper and checking her stock prices, reading her Bible. Her faith was a source of strength. Paraphrasing the words from her favorite hymn seem most appropriate: "There's a garden where Jesus is waiting, …and I go with my burden and care, just to learn from his lips words of comfort, …There my savior awaits and he opens the gates to the beautiful garden of prayer."

Survivors include: Sister in law Pat George Lohner, Cincinnati; daughter Sue Meier (Ron), Clearwater; son Larry (Barbara), Tallahassee; grandson Rob Meier(Shelle), and sons Griffin and Bryce, Clearwater; granddaughter Jennifer Meier McCarthy(Blane), Jacksonville and sons Jonah, Andrew and James; grandsons: Jonathan George, and children Ashley and David, Tallahassee; Michael George (Cindy) and son Michael, Jr., Tallahassee; Chris George (Erin), Tallahassee; Aaron George (Dina), Arlington, Virginia; and Andy George (Erika), Tampa. Godchildren: Bob Allen, Murphy, NC; Walter Lohner, Cincinnati; and Vicki Freedman, Ormond, many nieces and nephews.

Caregivers Laurie, Christina, Hives and Annie kept Margie comfortable and contented over the past few years at Harbor Chase. Her smiles and appreciation leave them with great memories of a warm, wonderful lady. Also, friend and former caregiver Curtisean, Ormond, always kept Margie in her prayers.

Margie was preceded in death by her husband Bob, brother Boyd Allen and great granddaughter Jennifer George.

Interment will be private at Volusia Memorial Park, Ormond Beach, Florida

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