| George Thomas Leslie, Jr. George Thomas Leslie, Jr. passed away May 4, 2001 in Globe, Arizo- na from a sudden heart attack. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, June 30, 1930. Preceded in death by his mother and father, Mary E. and George T. Leslie Sr., sister Nancy Phillips and brother Ronald Leslie, all of Pennsylvania. George graduated from Turtle Creek High School in 1948. At the advent of the Korean Conflict, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard and after training in electronics he was sent to the Pacific Northwest. Following a period of sea duty he transferred to the Coast Guard Air Station at Port Angeles. After discharge he decided to go back to school. He returned to the Los Angeles area. One semester at a local community college was enough. He returned to the Pacific Northwest he had come to love. He enrolled in the University of Washington, during which time he met and married Judith DeRousie of Port Angeles. He completed his undergraduate education from Western Washington University in Bellingham and went to Port Angeles to teach for eleven years. He spent summers as a seasonal Park Ranger in Olympic National Park. Having completed graduate and post graduate studies from the Uni- versity of Washington, he moved to Tacoma in 1969, where he was a faculty member and Director of Library and Information Services at Fort Steilacoom Community College/Pierce College. He retired in 1991. George became a Master Mason in 1954 when he was raised in Port Angeles Lodge No. 69. In 1971 he affiliated with Steilacoom Lodge No. 2 and served as Worshipful Master in 1976. He was Worshipful Master of Mt. Tahoma Lodge No. 190 in 1984. He was a member of Walter F. Meier Lodge of Research No. 281 and Twin Peaks No. 32 in Midvale, Utah. He was elected Junior Grand Warden in 1989 and served as Grand Master of Masons in Washington, 1992- 1993. He was an affiliated Past Grand Master of Utah. He was a member of the York Rite Bodies of Tacoma, the Valley of Tacoma Scottish Rite; he was Director of the Scottish Rite Foundation for the Valley of Tacoma. He was a member of Afifi Temple of the Shrine and served as Chaplain in 1994. He served as Secretary of Pacific Council No. 30, Allied Masonic Degrees; a member of Royal Ark Mariners and the Royal Order of Scotland. In 1951 he joined McKinley Chapter of DeMolay in Turtle Creek, PA and was DeMolay Dad at Sequim and Port Angeles Chapters. He served a number of years on the Grand Executive Board of Washington and Idaho International Order of the Rainbow Girls as Business Manager of the Confidential Ob- server, and was Rainbow Dad for Acacia Assembly No. 154 in Steilacoom. He was also a member of Cedar Chapter No. 173 Order of the Eastern Star. He enjoyed reading, good music, working with wood, lost wax silver and fishing, and was an Amateur radio buff. George is survived by his wife Judith of Mesa, Arizona; daughter Kelly B. Mecifi of University Place, Washington; granddaughter Malika A. Mecifi and grandson Zackary T. Mecifi, also of University Place; sister Wilma Jean Chambers of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. George’s wishes were there be no formal services. Memorials may be made to Children’s Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 5371 MS CL-04, Seattle, WA 98105-0371. Pub Date: 6/24/2001 Tacoma News Tribune |
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