In Memory
George E Gruza
July 5, 1925 - Mar. 1, 2014
SOUTH BEND - George E. Gruza, 88, of South Bend, Indiana passed away at 7:50 p.m. Saturday, March 1, 2014, in Hospice House. George was born on July 5, 1925 in South Bend to Walter and Edna (Mnichowski) Gruza and was a lifelong resident. He had been employed with Torrington as a Precision Grinder for 28 years.
On October 6, 1951 he married Lois Righter, who preceded him in death on March 19, 1988. Also preceding him in death were two brothers, Frank and Donald Gruza.
George is survived by two daughters, Gale Gruza and her husband Steve Magley of Everett, Washington, and Connie (John) O'Donnell of Olney, Illinois; four grandchildren, Lyndsey (Brian) Reedy of Mattoon, Illinois, Katie (Brian) Amos of Olney, Illinois, and Emily Magley and Sam Magley, both of Everett, Washington; four great-grandchildren, Kaylee and Kaleb Reedy, and Cody and Levi Amos; his sister-in-law, Jean Gruza of South Bend, Indiana; and his longtime friend and dancing partner, Betty Johnson.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, March 6, 2014, in St. Stanislaus Church. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery. Friends may call from 4 until 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Kaniewski Funeral Home, where a Rosary will be prayed at 5 p.m.
George was a member of St. Stanislaus Parish, Isaac Walton League, American Legion Post #357, and the former V.F.W. #8748. George was a proud WW II veteran who served as an aircraft mechanic for Corsair Aircraft while stationed at Pearl Harbor. He loved Westerns and horses, and was a cowboy at heart. George enjoyed the outdoors, boating, fishing, and water skiing. He water skied until age 74. George was a handsome man, always without a hair out of place. George had a great sense of humor. He was a Number #1 ND Fan, a John Wayne fan, and a Frank Sinatra fan. "He will always be in our hearts, Happy Trails". Memorial contributions may be made to the Center for Hospice Care, Inc. To send online condolences, please visit Kaniewski.com.
Published in South Bend Tribune on Mar. 4, 2014
| Rank | Private First Class |
|---|---|
| Muster Date | Apr 1945 |
| Station | Lvt Company, Tracked Vehicle Battalion, Specialist Training Regiment, Marine Training Command, San Diego Area, Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California. |
Sources: Ancestry.com and FindAGrave.com
10/17/2023 EJS
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/125856401/george-e-gruza
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