Deceased May 19, 2023
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in memory
George Willis died on May 19, 2023, of heart failure.
George came to us from El Campo High School in Texas. At Amherst, he majored in Spanish and Spanish history and was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon.
To say that George was “larger than life” is perhaps something of an understatement. To quote his daughter-in-law, Holly Willis, “He was of a physically imposing stature (read Tall Texan with all its iconic grace and swagger) with a brilliant mind, excellent education, wry humor, sharp wit and boundless yet measured energy.” He loved hunting and fishing, gambling, drinking good wine and visiting the cattle on the farm, among other things. However, George also had a penchant for mischief, something that may have been his undoing at Amherst, as he was expelled in his junior year at the order of President Cole and Dean Porter. The exact cause of the expulsion is not clear, but there has been speculation. George referred to the matter at rather great length in his contribution to the class of 1958’s 50th reunion class book and maintained that the expulsion was not justified and that he had been made a scapegoat.
George went on to study law and received his LL.B. from the University of Texas in 1960. After serving in the Army, George practiced with his father’s and grandfather’s law firm, Willis & Willis, until almost the day he died.
George was predeceased by his former spouse and the mother of his children, Gail Stanton Willis. He is survived by his beloved wife of 37 years, Gwen Dohner Willis; daughter Nicole Ruth Willis; son George Willis IV and wife Holly; a sister; grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.
John E.G. Bischof ’58