George E. Mack

George E. Mack, 80, of Spring Township died on November 28, 2013 in Reading Hospital after a courageous battle with cancer. He was the loving husband of Brenda (Witman) Mack, whom he married on January 23, 1982. George was the son of the late George A. and Lillie I. (Heinly) Mack.

After graduating from Mount Penn High School, George enlisted in the Army and spent two years on active duty. He entered the Army Reserves from active duty and rose through the ranks to command the 6th-68 Tank Battalion. He retired as a full colonel and as a commander of the 1185th Transportation Unit.

George graduated from Albright College, where he was president of his fraternity, Kappa Upsilon Phi. He excelled in cross-country and track & field, holding the record for the 880-yard run. George co-founded a cross-country scholarship and the Kappa fraternity scholarship and also coached the cross-country team at Albright.

George worked at Western Electric and AT&T in accounting and in computer information systems. After spending his remaining years in the purchasing department, he retired from Lucent Technologies. He served as president of the Berks County Purchasing Management Association, teaching purchasing classes to associates of other businesses throughout the county.

George enjoyed many hobbies throughout his life, especially fishing and snow skiing. His interest in skiing included many years of service as a ski instructor and as a member of the National Ski Patrol. He served on the board of directors and as president of the Flying Dutchmen Ski Club.

George spent his retirement years in service, volunteerism and commitment to the community. He served as a member of the Wilson School Board for 14 years, serving as president for four years. He was the Board treasurer, the chairperson of the extra-curricular committee, a member of the facilities committee and a member of the Wilson Education Foundation. He was inducted into the Century Club at Wilson as an honorary member. The members of the Wilson School Board recently voted to name the district's new multi-purpose stadium the George Mack Stadium in honor of George's commitment and dedication to the Wilson School District.

George served as a member of the Crime Alert Berks Board of Directors and was a co-chairman of the annual poster contest. He also assisted with the Shop with a Cop program. Last year he received the Crime Alert Berks President's Award.

He was a member of the Leadership Committee of the West Lawn United Methodist Church, served on the church personnel committee and volunteered during fellowship time at the church. He also served as a member of the Spring Township Greenway/Trails Committee.

In addition to his wife, George is also survived by his sister-in-law, Diana (Witman) Braine, wife of Jack Braine, and their son, Austin Braine.

A celebration of George's life will be held Saturday, December 14, 2013 at 1 p.m. in West Lawn United Methodist Church. A visitation will be held at the church on Thursday, December 12, 2013, from 3:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Albright College Kappa Upsilon Phi Scholarship; Crime Alert Berks County; West Lawn United Methodist Church; or Wilson Education Foundation. Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home, Inc., West Reading, is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be given at www.kuhnfuneralhome.com.