Celebrating the life of
George Joseph Peer
August 26, 1925 - February 01, 2011
Mr. George Joseph Peer passed away on Feb. 1, 2011 in Savannah, GA. Born on August 26, 1925 in Saint Louis, Missouri; he was the only child of Melba Rahning Peer and George Joseph Peer. When George was eight, Melba remarried. William Irving Hanson became Georges' beloved second father and influenced him to study metallurgy. During high school in Saint Louis, George developed his life long love of tennis.
George received BS and MS degrees in metallurgical engineering from Purdue University, the MS thanks to the GI bill. At Purdue he met lifelong friends, including Dick and Dixie Morgal and his wife-to-be, Mary Jane Midge Hazlewood.
George served in the navy at the end of WWII and during the Korean War. An apparently minor incident, when he went with friends to ski at Badger Pass in California, led to his love of skiing.
George and Midge married on Feb. 14, 1948: Valentine's Day. They honeymooned in Quebec and skied, beginning a family tradition of skiing. Afterward, George began work in Quebec.
During the next years, the navy and then George's career took the family to Hawaii, Ohio, Indiana, and Ohio again. Four children were born: Linda, Gary, Steven and Scott.
A transition began in the steel industry and George foresaw that refractories would no longer be needed. In 1963 he accepted a position as Vice President of Sales for Handy and Harman, a precious metals company. The family moved to Chappaqua, NY.
In 1967, George was sent to the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School. Some of his classmates remained his closest friends.
In 1975 George and four associates, some of them tennis friends, bought Multi-Metal Wire Cloth, Inc. in Tappan NY. He became the President, CEO, and Chairman. The company flourished and by 1997 George owned a controlling interest.
When the kids graduated from college, George and Midge celebrated their economic liberation by buying a ski and summer condo in Stratton Mountain, Vermont. They made life-long friendships there.
In 1995, George retired and the couple moved to The Landings in Savannah.
George is survived by Linda and her husband John Lee, Gary and his wife Maureen and their children, Brian and David, Steven and his wife Soo and their children, Sophia and Michael, and son Scott and his wife Lynn.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 2 PM, at Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Purdue University College of Engineering Scholarships, 403 W. Wood St., W. Lafayette, IN, 47907.
Please sign our on-line guestbook at www.foxandweeks.com
Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors, Hodgson Chapel
Beyond my parents, George was the greatest influence in my life. I met him in 1967 at an AMP dinner at Harvard while I was a student at the business school. He hired me out of Harvard to work for him at Handy and Harman. I left H&H after three years to start my own company. Shortly thereafter he left H&H and acquired Multi Metal. My company became a distributor of some of MM products. Eventually, George formed LSS and I became a shareholder in that enterprise. When George chose to retire my company and LSS were merged. I don't know where I would be today if we hadn't met at that dinner. My business life has been totally intertwined with George Peer. He helped me in many ways and was always supportive. I was looking forward to a get together with him to give him an update on the business people and events we had in common. I am sorry it didn't happen. My condolences on your loss.
- David Painter, Beaufort, SC
George and Midge were well known and liked here at Stratton Mountain. We will miss him dearly.
- Fred and Linda Carnevale, Stratton, VT
We are friends of George's from Stratton. Although he has not been here in a few years, he will be missed. He played a mean game of tennis and in his day could beat us handily. We also enjoyed playing bridge and skiing with he and Midge. George was a true gentleman. Nancy and Chuck McMahon
- Nancy and Chuck McMahon, Stratton Mt, VT
Our condolences to his sons and daughter and grandchildren. George, like Midge, was a wonderful person who will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
- Mr. & Mrs. Joel Spivak, Savannah, GA
Beyond my parents, George was the greatest influence in my life. I met him in 1967 at an AMP dinner at Harvard while I was a student at the business school. He hired me out of Harvard to work for him at Handy and Harman. I left H&H after three years to start my own company. Shortly thereafter he left H&H and acquired Multi Metal. My company became a distributor of some of MM products. Eventually, George formed LSS and I became a shareholder in that enterprise. When George chose to retire my company and LSS were merged. I don't know where I would be today if we hadn't met at that dinner. My business life has been totally intertwined with George Peer. He helped me in many ways and was always supportive. I was looking forward to a get together with him to give him an update on the business people and events we had in common. I am sorry it didn't happen. My condolences on your loss.
- David Painter, Beaufort, SC
George and Midge were well known and liked here at Stratton Mountain. We will miss him dearly.
- Fred and Linda Carnevale, Stratton, VT
We are friends of George's from Stratton. Although he has not been here in a few years, he will be missed. He played a mean game of tennis and in his day could beat us handily. We also enjoyed playing bridge and skiing with he and Midge. George was a true gentleman. Nancy and Chuck McMahon
- Nancy and Chuck McMahon, Stratton Mt, VT
Our condolences to his sons and daughter and grandchildren. George, like Midge, was a wonderful person who will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
- Mr. & Mrs. Joel Spivak, Savannah, GA
Services under the direction of:
Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors, Hodgson Chapel
912-352-7200
