Deceased October 18, 2022
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IN MEMORY
Going to Amherst College did not involve any packing or long travel for George. He grew up in Amherst, the son of a professor of fine arts. In our 50th reunion booklet, George wrote that he had lived in Amherst and knew most of the professors at the College: “They were unlikely to be too harsh on a colleague’s kid.” As an undergraduate, George joined Alpha Delta fraternity, where he was their vice president; majored in fine arts; and was involved with skiing and, of course, the Masquers.
Classmates Seth Frank ’55 and Bob Lehrman ’55 vividly remember being in Masquers plays with George. Bob said George was one of his sons in Death of a Salesman. Seth felt George was the Gregory Peck of our troupe, remembering “his distinctive good looks and red hair.”
Following graduation, George was in Army intelligence, serving in France, where he “stayed on awhile.” He briefly tried the Fletcher School of law and diplomacy at Tufts but quickly opted for theater, which became his lifework. Over the next decade, George appeared in many New York plays, Hollywood movies and New York underground films with Robert Downey. His career ended in the ’70s as the original Father Mulcahey on M*A*S*H due to a severe eye problem that sidelined him permanently.
This early retirement led George to delve into his interest in 12th-century history, in which he remained permanently and happily fixed. He lived in Chilmark on Cape Cod, where he enjoyed woodcutting and kayaking. Skiing was also a major hobby. George died on Oct. 18, 2022.
Rob Sowersby ’55