George Roland (Ret.) Lt. Col. Somerville

Lt. Col. (Ret.) George Roland Somerville, Jr. passed away peacefully in San Antonio on May 30, 2015 at the age of 93. George was born on December 8, 1921 in Topeka, Kansas to George R. Somerville, Sr. and Isabel Edwards Somerville.

The son of an Army Officer, he spent his early years at various Army posts before moving to San Antonio where he graduated from Alamo Heights High School. Upon graduation from Texas A & M, and being commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1942, he entered active duty with the U.S. ARMY and served in the European Theater in World War II.

After the war, he was employed as a chemical engineer in Port Arthur, Texas, where he met and married Josephine Tardy, his boss's secretary, in 1946. After the birth of their third child, they moved to San Antonio in 1953, where he owned and operated George's Hobby Shop.

In 1955, he was recruited by Southwest Research Institute where over several decades; he administered a number of projects, including development of a fire extinguisher for NASA's Apollo and Skylab missions.

Josephine passed away in 1977 and a few years later he became reacquainted with a former neighbor, Deana Meyer, through a blind date arranged by mutual friends. They were married in 1980 and spent 35 wonderful years together until his death.

George was preceded in death by his parents; older sisters, Anne, Barbara and Isabel and by his first wife, Josephine.

He is survived by his wife, Deana; sons, George III (Chip) and wife, Susan, Donald (D.L) and Charles and wife, Maureen; grandchildren, Travis, Spencer, Amy, Scott and Ben; great-grandchildren, Josephine, Patrick and Nicholas.

George was an avid outdoorsman and a member of Messiah Lutheran Church of Boerne, devoted to God, his family, church, country, friends and Texas A & M University.

Deana and the family offer their thanks to the EMS personnel, all of the doctors attending to him and the ICU staff at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital.

The family will receive friends from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Monday, June 8, 2015 at Porter Loring North.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE

TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

11:00 A.M.

MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH

9401 DIETZ ELKHORN RD

BOERNE, TX 78015

(Followed by a reception at the church)

Pastor Goeke will officiate.

Interment with Military Honors will follow in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Aggie Wives & Graduates, 8206 West Ave., San Antonio, Texas 78213 or to a charity of your choice.