George Michael Fettinger

George Michael Fettinger, 61, left this earth unexpectedly to join Jesus in Heaven on May 28, 2020, surrounded by his family. Daddy George, as most knew him, left behind a legacy of living big and loving bigger.

SERVICE: A celebration of his life will be held at later date when it is safe for friends and family to gather in a large group.

MEMORIALS: In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Excel Beyond – The George Fettinger Scholarship at Family Legacy – a Christian program committed to Zambia’s most vulnerable children.

Donations can be made at: https://web.familylegacy.com/donate/georgefettingerscholarship

George was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1958, but spent the majority of his life in Dallas, Texas. He often proudly pronounced that he was “reared in The Cliff”, which is Oak Cliff for the unknowing. George met the love of his life and best friend, Deidra, in high school at Bishop Dunne. They truly lived a fairytale love story and regularly made everyone uncomfortable with their passionate kisses and remarks. G & D – as they referred to themselves – married in Dallas in May 1983 and had two beautiful children, George Marcus and Tiffany Ann. Marcus (“Slick 50”) and Tiffany (“Baby Doll”) were the light of his life. For the majority of their childhood, George raced between baseball games and gymnastic meets only to be the proudest, and surely the loudest, person in the stands.

Not only was George a devoted husband and incredible father, his business acumen was evident to all around him. George graduated from UT Arlington and then received his MS in Accounting from UNT. He went on to become a CPA and started his career at Ernst & Whinney before starting his own accounting firm. It was in his accounting practice that he found his passion for helping the elderly and founded Bluebonnet Home Health and Hospice. The legacy of Bluebonnet is a testament to George’s care, passion and love of others.

George and Deidra loved escaping the hustle and bustle of the city to their family lake house on Richland Chambers Lake where they enjoyed hosting groups of family and friends for cocktails and good times. He could spend countless hours in his chair telling everyone about life, lessons learned and the right way to do things. The lake house was his most peaceful place.

In the past several years, George’s faith became a cornerstone of his life. George and Deidra recently became members of Highland Park United Methodist Church. He believed that spreading the Gospel took more than just words – it took action. His Christian faith led him to share his unconditional love with family, adopted family, friends and beyond. George treasured traveling to Camp Life in Zambia to serve orphans as the hands and feet of Jesus and to share his love for Christ. His generous spirit remains one of the most precious traits of our Daddy George.

As we all know, George loved having a good time. He loved travelling the world with his family, romantic getaways with Deidra, good red wine, scotch, family dinners, hunting, his dogs and “granddogs” but, above all, George loved his family. His fierce and devoted love of his family will live on in so many. George’s family extended far beyond those who shared the last name of Fettinger. He always opened his door to anyone who needed a safe place, honest advice, a shoulder to cry on or a good glass of wine.

George had a servant’s heart and was never afraid to tell people how much he loved them. He would text his kids every night – albeit with numerous typos and misused emojis – to check on them and tell them how much he loved them. To the end, his huge smile and presence brought joy to every person around him and lit up the room. He was truly larger than life and will be missed beyond comprehension.

George was preceded in death by his parents, George E. Fettinger and Bobbie Jackson Gournay. He is survived by his loving wife, Deidra; his son, Marcus, and soon-to-be daughter-in-law Kennedy; his daughter, Tiffany; his stepmother, Nell Fettinger; his brothers, Tony Jackson, Gary Lynch and Jim Lynch; and countless scores of friends and loved ones whom George always treated like his own family.