Eileen George

Eileen George, known to most of us as “Grandmère”, died Sunday, September 17, 2017. She was 100 years old. She was born on March 3, 1917, in Los Angeles, the only child to Jessie and Bernard Jessen. She graduated Huntington Park High School in 1935 and although she was accepted to UCLA, she was unable to attend due to the Great Depression, when one third of people were out of work. Her Uncle Carl loaned her the money to attend secretarial school instead. She literally wore holes in her shoes looking for work, and landed a job for $60 per month at Union Hardware and Metal Company. This is one of many examples of the tenacity Eileen displayed throughout her long life. In 1938, she married Nick George, an energetic truck salesman who drove a snazzy 1938 Cord 810 and was a great dancer. They would often take advantage of the $1.25 dinner-dance ticket at the Palomar Ballroom in L.A., and they enjoyed dancing to live music from bands like Artie Shaw and Bennie Goodman. In December 1939, she became a mother to her only child, Michael George. After she divorced in 1945, she returned to work as a legal secretary at Latham and Watkins, the largest law firm in the United States. In 1953 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and prayed she would live long enough to raise her son. Late in her life, because she was a long time survivor, she spoke with and gave hope to many newly diagnosed women. From 1955-1976, she was provider and caregiver for her Uncle Carl, her beloved Aunt Ruth, her father, and finally her mother. Despite being a single mother, she exposed her son and friends to the opera, the symphony and the ballet. Eileen was always an encouraging parent and helped pay for Michael’s college. In 1980 she realized her dream of moving to Grass Valley, CA in the Sierra Nevada mountains to live near her beloved cousin, Vivian and her family. She volunteered at the local elementary school helping to teach children to read. She began working out at a gym and had the resolve and strength of character to quit smoking one day and never smoked again. In 2002, at age 85 she lost vision in one eye due to a stroke and faced another health crisis: open heart surgery to receive an artificial valve or a prognosis of 2 years to live. As usual, she made the brave decision to have the surgery. She moved to Dallas so she could be closer to her son and his family. She joined a bridge group at Lakewood Methodist Church where she made many good friends. When she was hospitalized for two months with a virus in her spine, her bridge group played cards with her at her bedside. Eileen loved to travel and took many wonderful trips to Europe with her friends and family in her lifetime. She loved to cook, loved parties and was known for her sparkling wit. She was baptized at Highland Park United Methodist Church at the age of 88. She was a member of the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League and regularly attended the Dallas Opera and the Dallas Symphony until very recently. Earlier this year, she celebrated her 100th birthday with 50 friends and family at Brook Hollow Golf Club with live music from the 30s and 40s. As she sang along, and she knew every word, to “The Glory of Love”, she said, “Well, that’s the truth!” She will be missed.

She is survived by her son Michael and daughter-in-law Jackie George, grandchildren Mark George and wife Irma, Kim Bruce, Shelly Wilson and husband Stephen, Michael George Jr. and wife Jennifer, Susan Claycombe and husband Robert, and great grandchildren Mark Jr. and Paloma George, Skylar and Sadie Wilson, Charlie, Jonathan, Joshua and Sloane George, and Anna Kate and George Claycombe. Eileen was also pre-deceased by her beloved first cousin Vivian Hartman and is survived by her second cousins Barbara, Beverly and Linda Hartman. The family expresses their sincere gratitude to Eileen’s faithful and loving caregivers in her later years: Lisa Chapman, Connie Caraveo, Lori Parrish, Megan Burleson, Hanah Milam and Julia Steinsdoerfer.

There will be a gathering for family and friends on Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at Sparkman Hillcrest Funeral Home. A celebration of her life will be held in Cox Chapel at Highland Park United Methodist Church on Friday at 1 p.m., followed by a reception in Fellowship Hall and the burial at Sparkman Hillcrest.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to a charity of your choice.