George William Stricker

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Stricker, George William passed away on April 14, 2018 after a brief illness. He is survived by two brothers, Jim and Dave, four children, Cynthia, Peter (Cevin), Brian (Julia), and Scott (Sheila), three grandchildren, Leianna, Keoki, and Josh, and two great grandchildren, Isiaiah and Maleia. He is also survived by a world of dear friends. George was born in The Pas, Manitoba, Canada on October 1, 1929 and was raised in Minneapolis, MN where he attended the Blake School. He graduated from Stanford University with a MBA in 1953. Subsequently, he joined the Air Force and met Rolleen Taylor in San Antonio TX. They married soon after, lived in Del Rio TX (where their first child, Cynthia was born), and eventually moved to Carbondale CO in 1958 where their three sons were born. George worked as the business manager at the Colorado Rocky Mountain School and later became the Director of Adult Education at the newly-founded Colorado Mountain College. The family moved to Gig Harbor WA in 1975 where George ran the adult education program at the University of Puget Sound. In 1980, his career track took a radical turn into the wind energy field. George was intrigued by renewable energy and became a self-taught developer which took him to Colorado, Hawaii, the Cook Islands, India, China, and various parts of California. In 1995, George retired to South Lake Tahoe CA where his son, Brian lived. He bought a lodge on 20 acres in the Hope Valley surrounded by the high Sierras, and created a retreat center. In 2011, he moved to Austin TX to be close to Cynthia and Scott. Not one to sit idle, George became a volunteer at Barton Hills Elementary School and with Hospice Austin. In his own words, George said, "If I am remembered very long, maybe it will be for something I represented rather than for my character or personality, something like: 'Here's lies a kind person', or 'George always tried to help' My writing will not be published. My art will not be collected. My woodwork will crumble. But maybe my smile will be passed on and light the eyes of others Maybe the children I knew will become doctors, professors, clergy-persons, inventors, artists, statesmen, or others who can nudge civilization along an evolutionary path toward greatness. Who could ask for more?" The family is eternally grateful to the staff of Barton Hills Assisted Living. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice Austin.

Published on April 20, 2018