Obituary of George Edward Southern

George Edward Southern ~ 86 Vancouver, Washington April 12, 1930 ~ March 20, 2017 George Edward Southern passed away at his home in Vancouver, WA on Monday, March 20th, 2017 at the age of 86. He was born in Huntington, IN on April 12th, 1930. He was raised in Brainerd, MN and eventually made his way to reside in the Pacific Northwest. George was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 43 years, Mary Ann Southern. He is survived by his sons; Dwight Southern and DJ Southern (spouse Polly); granddaughter, Sarah Ojord and grandson, Riley Ojord. George served in the US Army during the Korean War. He received an honorable discharge after being wounded during combat. He received the US Army of Occupation Medal with Japan clasp, Combat Infantryman Badge, Distinctive Unit Emblem and the Korean Service Medal with three bronze stars. He was a member of the Elks Lodge for 54 years and enjoyed many bowling leagues with Mary Ann. George attended Hastings Business School studying accounting and business administration. He worked in various manufacturing positions eventually becoming manager of the shipping and receiving departments at Griffith Rubber Mills then Byers Photo Equipment Company, from which he retired in 1996. Being animal lovers, George and Mary Ann had many beloved dogs, most recently their poodle, Dolly. He had a wonderful community of neighbors that watched out for him, enjoyed stopping by the house to take Dolly for a walk or bring their own dog over to visit and maybe share in a treat. Charities close to George’s heart include charities related to prostate cancer awareness or research, supporting our Veterans and The Humane Society.