George John Hartmann

George was born in Altheim, Germany to Maria and Josef Hartmann on February 12, 1933. Adventurous and a hard worker, he immigrated to the United States in April 1956 to stay with his Uncle John and to find work. Within a week of arrival he was working as an auto mechanic, saving money for a sporty Mustang, and managing his side hustle Laundromat.

He met Emma Baumeister in 1965 when George returned to Germany for his sister's wedding. After a year of romantic correspondence, he convinced her to move to the US and in November 1966 they married in Princeton, New Jersey. They raised their family in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, until the mountains of Virginia called and they built a home and a hobby farm on a mountainside in Nellysford, Virginia. For the past 15 years, George and Emma lived in Waynesboro, Virginia. George and Emma recently celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary with family.

In New Jersey for many years George worked as a machinist and then Shop Foreman for SG Franz. He advanced quickly by repairing broken machines. With a German/English dictionary he read the manual, fixed devices others had left as hopeless, and sped production. Later he used his technical and bilingual skills to head the American division of Rampf Molds and later Probst Equipment. His time in the Air Force was cut short by the need for his mechanical skills to further the Space Race.

In New Jersey he was a member and leader of the Mohawk Canoe Club where he led many canoe and hiking trips and convinced family and friends to do more adventurous trips like staying in a primitive stone cabin on Stowe Mountain for skiing. He organized week long canoe camping trips - flying in by plane to the Boundary Waters and canoeing out. George bought a pop-up camper which he customized for the family. Emmi and George would travel across the country in a station wagon, often towing the camper, exploring National Parks, Alaska, and Canada. He continued biking and skiing into his 80's and hiking into his 90's. Nothing made him happier then an outdoor adventure with friends and family.

He was active in the German-American Donauschwaben Club in Hamilton,New Jersey and continued to share German traditions with family and friends.

George was an avid gardener. He and Emmi cultivated apple and peach trees in Nellysford, a huge flower garden, and he grew vegetables in his home garden every summer. Many of his tomatoes and radishes never made it into the house as he would pick and eat them in the yard.

He could build or fix anything. George always had a shop full of tools and was happy to help friends and family build or repair whatever needed work. He carved benches with a chainsaw, rebuilt motorcycle carburetors, welded, and was perpetually fixing things. He held two patents on separating metals.

George loved meeting people and made friends all over the world. He enjoyed hearing stories and telling stories. It was a thrill to make him laugh and watch happy tears stream from his deep brown eyes. He was always interested in the topics that others found interesting. While traveling in Puerto Rico he was sometimes mistaken for a local and would happily listen to people speaking to him in Spanish (which he did not speak).

Although George only had the opportunity to attend trade school, he encouraged his children to pursue their education. His son earned a degree in electrical engineering and his daughter earned graduate degrees in physical therapy. George was a lifelong learner, reading history, watching documentaries, studying genealogy, learning investing strategies, and following the news and politics. If given a map or book at Christmas he would immediately be lost to reading--we had to give him those presents last.

George is survived by his spouse Emma Hartmann, son Eric Hartmann (his wife Kevern and son Aidan), his daughter Lisa Pelfrey (her husband Will, and daughters Lulu and Kat), his younger brother Otto and sister Pia who live in Germany along with more than twenty nieces and nephews and many other loving relatives. George is preceded in death by his parents and his older brother Josef Hartmann.

A Celebration of George's Life will be held in the early part of the new year.

The world is poorer without his laugh, his easy smile, and his charm. He will be missed by many.

Relatives and friends may share condolences and memories with the family online by visiting www.reynoldshamrickfuneralhomes.com