George Frederick Ellenberger
October 1, 1920 - November 22, 2010
Obituary
Dad was born and raised in Pendleton, OR. Although he lost his mother when he was 6 years old, hearing him tell it, he had a wonderful childhood. He hunted, fished, rode his horses – Toots and Boots, herded livestock, slept out underneath the stars…..wonderful. After graduating from Pendleton High in 1938, dad moved to Seattle seeking employment and in 1940, went to work for Boeing doing, among other jobs, machine gun building and testing. After Pearl Harbor was attacked, dad enlisted in the Navy and served in the South Pacific as a motor mechanic with the 123rd Naval Construction Bn. Fighting Seabees. When the war ended, dad settled in Burien and opened George’s Shoe Repair, which he operated for 20 years. In 1967, dad was offered a job on Seattle’s waterfront and by 1982 was able to take a much deserved retirement from Local 9 Watchman’s Union. From that point on, dad and mom spent their time gardening, fishing, traveling, and enjoying their family and friends. Dad was a life member of the VFW and a 60 year member of the Burien Post 4314. He also had a special association with Seabee Island X2 of Tacoma. Dad was a wonderful person who accepted all people as his friends. He is survived by his loving wife, Donna; sons, Richard, Paul Cindy, Gary Lyn; and grandchildren Justin and Stephanie. A very special thank you to the wonderful people at Supercare: Perla, Mario, Juanita, Frederico, and Voida. A memorial service will be held at 12:00 PM on December 12, 2010 in the chapel at Washington Memorial Park and Mortuary in SeaTac. Online memorial at www.bonneywatson.com.
I am so sorry for your loss. George was really a nice guy. I have many fond memories of his many stories including those of Pilot Rock. I still have the leather slippers that he fixed with patches on the sole where I had worn them thin. Others would have thrown the sheepskin slippers away. Not George, there was no need for new ones as the old slippers had lots of use left in them with just a little fixing.
May the void of his passing be filled with your happy memories of the many years spent together as a family.
Yvonne Brehan
George will not be forgotten by his Seabee friends, we will miss him very much.