George E. Dart, Msgt, U.S.A.F retired, died in Wayne Memorial Hospital under the care of Hospice of South Georgia on December 5, 2020 at ninety years young.
George was born on September 12, 1930 in Wayne County, Georgia to the late William Robert Dart, Sr. and Annie Laurie Strickland Dart. In his early years, he worked on the family farm and developed a work ethic that was second to none. After high school he joined the United States Air Force where his primary duty was serving as an aquatic, desert and arctic survival instructor. George taught many of the Korean and Vietnam POW’s and was very successful in having many return home after being held in captivity. George was also a professional mountain climber, and, in fact, still holds the record of fifteen trips, fifteen days each, across the Sierra Nevada mountains, among numerous other climbs. He was a fishing and hunting guide in Alaska and during his spare time George served as part of a joint American/Canadian arctic survival team where they tested cold weather gear. He was quoted as saying,” That was the coldest I have ever been and that you couldn’t get warm.” George was awarded the commendation medal from the Air Force for helping to put the first man on the moon. After returning home from the Air Force with more than twenty-four years of service he began a second career working for Rayonier Advanced Materials from which he would also retire and begin yet a third career working for Howard & Jones Funeral Home for over thirty years.
In addition to his work related duties, George devoted countless hours giving back to his community in various different ways. He was known to “check in” from time to time with his friends and family to see if they needed his help and he always shared the abundant harvest of his beautiful garden with anyone he could. He was a communicant of Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church where he especially enjoyed helping with special activities. George was a longtime member of the Paper Workers Local Union 787, the Altamaha Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Jesup Elks Lodge #2133 and was a founding member of the pond house crew, where he attempted to provide adult supervision, with limited success.
He truly loved the outdoors and when he had time, he spent hours on end fishing with his friends and family, earning himself a title he proudly wore of “Perch Jerker Champion”
In addition to his parents his wife of sixty-seven years, Joanna Anderson Dart; son James E Dart; and brothers, Tommy Dart, Robert Dart, Jr. and Joseph Dart all preceded him in death.
He is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Georganna and Ron Brooks of Jesup; granddaughter, Mamie Brooks of Hinesville; brother and sister-in-law, Walter and Carolyn Dart of Jesup; sister, Pauline Dart of Jesup; brother-in-law, Turner Anderson of Jesup and three sisters-in-law, Christine Anderson of Mebane, North Carolina, Mary Ellen Anderson of Jesup and Betty Anderson Rossman of Dublin, GA. Two wonderful caregivers, Shirlene Banks and Debbie Whitley also survive along with a host of nephews, nieces, cousins and extended family members.
Graveside memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 10, 2020 at Pinecrest Memorial Cemetery with The Reverends Nathan Wilson and Steve Larson officiating. Military honors will be rendered by the United States Air Force.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 745 S. Palm St., Jesup, GA 31546.
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