George E. Vonnoh

Mr. George E. Vonnoh, 81, of Nottley Shores, Blairsville, Ga., died Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2007 at his home following an extended illness.

Mr. Vonnoh was born Oct. 15, 1926 in the borough of Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of the late George A. Vonnoh and the late Veronica Dillan Vonnoh. At the impressionable age of 6, his family moved to the town of Hollis, Long Island, N.Y. After graduating high school, he volunteered for Navy Service during WWII and served his duty onboard a destroyer escort as a motor machinist mate. During military service he developed a love for the sea and after his discharge, purchased his first boat for charter and began fishing full time in the waters off of Long Island. In the winter of 1950 his love for fishing took him to the sunny Florida Keys where he successfully captained a series of boats. After 35 years of fishing he decided it was time for a life change and in the mid 70s found himself running a small town newspaper, The Graham Star, in Robbinsville, N.C. Retirement then came calling and he and his wife moved to Blairsville where he had lived for the past the past 16 years. Also an avid gardener, he enjoyed plowing the field and planting vegetables and flowers.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Gigi Vonnoh and a brother, Gerald Vonnoh. Mr. Vonnoh was a member of Bethel United Methodist Church.

Surviving Mr. Vonnoh are sons and daughters-in-law, George and Grace Vonnoh of Davie, Fla., Kent and Tracey Reed of Marietta, Ga., Pen Reed of the Cayman Islands; grandchildren, Deidre, Ryan, Stockton and Knox; many other relatives and friends also survive.

Memorial services will be held Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. from the Bethel United Methodist Church with the Rev. Joe May and the Rev. Michael Morton officiating. In lieu of flowers if you wish, the family requests that memorials may be made to the American Red Cross in Mr. Vonnoh's memory. Interment will follow at a later time in the Coosa Methodist Church Cemetery.

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsville in charge of the arrangements. You may sign the family guest book and send condolences to the family on line at www.mountainviewfuneralhome.c om.