George Thomas Fugere

George Thomas Fugere, of Aurora, Colorado, passed away on Sunday, October 14, 2012, one week after his 79th birthday. A memorial and celebration of George's life will be held on Sunday, October 21, 2012 at 2:00 PM at St. Andrews Village Senior Living Community, 13801 East Yale Avenue, Aurora, CO 80014. A short reception will follow at St. Andrews until 4:00 PM. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the Boy Scouts of America; George was an Honorary Lifetime Member of B.S.A. Donations can be made at: http://aplacetogive.scouting.org/magento/ George was born on October 5, 1933 in Esmond, Rhode Island to Sidney and Lillian (Duffney) Fugere. He graduated from North Kingstown Senior High School in 1951 and then attended University of Rhode Island, where he was a member of Phi Mu Delta fraternity. After a short hiatus to serve in the United States Army, George returned to U.R.I., married Carolyn Lee Sivak (U.R.I. class of 1955) on February 4, 1956, and graduated from University of Rhode Island in 1957. George was employed for 37 years by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, initially at the home plant in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, then the Burns Harbor, Indiana plant in the early 1960's, returning to the home plant in Bethlehem in 1973, where he worked until his retirement. George was very devoted to his career at Bethlehem Steel and was highly respected in his field. George loved sports, music, dancing, skiing, fishing, and most of all, sailing, which was his favorite pastime throughout his life. George and Carolyn initially retired in Lancaster, Virginia, at a waterfront property near the Chesapeake Bay, where George continued to enjoy his love of sailing. They relocated to a mountain home in Silverthorne, CO in 2003, where George was extremely active in the Summit County community for several years. They moved to Saint Andrews Village Senior Living Community in Aurora, CO in 2009. George was well known for his lifetime of service to others. He volunteered in countless organizations, including Kiwanis Club, Jaycees, Rotary Club, many neighborhood homeowners associations, and Copper Mountain Ski Area Volunteers. His greatest volunteer passion was for the Boy Scouts of America throughout his entire life. Last, but hardly least, George was well-known for a lifetime of playing ""Santa Claus"" each Christmas season, delighting children and adults alike in every community in which he ever lived. George is survived by his wife, Carolyn; his brother Jim; his three children: Geoff, Michele, and Janine; six grandchildren: Tony, Breanne, Chris, Jon, Jenny, and Justin; his first great-grandchild, Cristabella; and his nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Sidney and Lillian, and his brother, Bob. George Fugere had a positive and profound impact on everyone he ever met and he will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Please share your memories of George and condolences with his family by signing the guestbook.