George Lee Livers Jr.

George Lee Livers Jr., a resident of Baton Rouge, passed away on August 28th. He was 99 years of age, born December 21, 1925. George was one of our country's last living WWII veterans. George grew up in the east Texas town of Marshall where he graduated from high school whereupon he immediately enlisted to serve in the Army's Air Corps in November 1944. After training as a B-17 tail gunner, he was deployed to Lavenham, England as part of the 8th Air Force's 487th Bomb Group. During his time there, he participated in 16 missions as part of a bombing campaign to destroy targets deep in enemy territory such as Berlin and Dresden. He survived 4 "Forced landings," one after being downed in the North Sea, and another in Poland where he was listed as MIA for over three months. He evaded capture and finally found his way through enemy territory to allied soldiers. He later returned to the 487th and then to the U.S. He was blessed to return home as only 25% of the Eighth Air Force survived the war. He was reluctant to share his experiences of the war until much later on in life, which is now much appreciated by his family. He was a true hero to us.

George returned to East Texas where he reconnected with the love of his life, Doris Marie Brooks. They carried on a long-distance relationship for a short period as Doris attended Texas Tech in Lubbock and he attended the University of South Louisiana in Lafayette. They were married on December 28, 1950 in Marshall, Texas and they moved to Dallas, Texas where he attended and received a degree from SMU. They welcomed a baby boy into the family, George L. Livers, III and shortly thereafter returned to Shreveport, LA for most of his remaining life. Once back in Shreveport, Mary Lynn Livers, "The apple of his eye" joined the family and they settled into west Shreveport and were active members of St. Theresa's Catholic Church.

George was an employee of United Gas Pipeline Company in Shreveport from 1952 until his retirement in 1987. George was a man of faith and quietly contributed in various ways in his church communities over the years. Whether serving as an usher, a reader, or making visits to "the old people" in nursing homes, he was there when needed. In addition, both Doris and George made whatever sacrifices necessary to ensure their kids received a catholic education.

In 1975, he and Doris moved with the company to Houston where they lived for 20 years. It was here they enjoyed a vibrant life and enjoyed entertaining their niece and nephews as well as many LSU grads from Mary's LSU days. Together they were generous and loved being around a fun crowd of young people they loved like their own. After both retired, they moved back to Shreveport in 1995 to reconnect with friends and to be closer to family (sisters Margie Whitehurst and Martha Wynn, and Bill Whitehurst, nephew). in 2013, they moved to Baton Rouge to be closer to their daughter. George was known to be a quiet intellectual, with an impressive amount of "useless" knowledge that gave him the ability to answer most of the questions on "Jeopardy". He also possessed a keen sense of humor which he delivered with a straight face in a dry and understated manner. George was an all-time favorite uncle, surrogate father, and loving friend to many. He sincerely demonstrated care and kindness in all of his significant relationships and showed all who knew him how to age in place with gratitude, kindness, acceptance, and grace.

George is survived by his son, George Lee Livers III of Manor, Texas; his daughters Mary Livers and Penny Frazier of Baton Rouge. He was especially close with his sister-in-law, Martha Wynn, nephews Bobby Wynn, John Wynn, and family, from Austin, Texas and niece Mary Susan Wynn and son Emmitt from Ft. Collins, Co, who loved their Uncle George to the moon and back. They spent countless hours making their way to Baton Rouge for frequent visits and lots of laughs. In addition, George considered Stafford Johnson one of his daughters and enjoyed the loyal friendships of our Baton Rouge friends Nellie Gonsoulin, Nancy Gautreau, Adrienne Clark Allen, John and Karen Church, Lynne and Charles Stubbs. Our family also appreciates many friends we have all over the country, especially Nancy Quinn and Sue Goza. who have offered love and support throughout George's later years.

He was preceded in death by his parents George L. Livers Sr, and Nellie Hill of Marshall, Texas, and his wife of 66 years, Doris Brooks Livers. Visitation will be observed at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on September 11, 2025 from 10:00 to 11:00. A mass of Christian burial will follow at 11:00, celebrated by Father Josh Johnson. Interment will take place in Marshall, Texas at a time to be determined. The family would like to express gratitude to the many wonderful staff at the Holly Court Assisted Living who took care of him, especially Veronica Murphy and Michelle Raymond, and Nurse Sharon Walker. Also, thank you to Ingrid Hildago at Audubon Hospice for her loving, excellent care. For those wanting to honor his life, please consider donating in his name to Sacred Heart Catholic School, Baton Rouge, LA or a charity of your choosing.