George Edward Uding

George Edward Uding Jr. 88, of Naples Fl, passed away Wednesday after a brief but devastating illness surrounded by his daughters. George would tell you he spent much of his adult life surrounded by his daughters, a group of women whose lives he inspired, enriched and often complicated. And in whose lives he has left a very large void.

George was born in Sainte Genevieve Missouri in March of 1932 to George and Gertrude Lurk Uding. At the start of WWII, his family moved to Sherwood Tennessee where they lived in a log cabin for the next 4 years overlooking the village. This period of his life inspired a love for the mountains, the outdoors and many of his treasured "Sherwood Stories". The family then returned to Ste Gen where George graduated from Valle high school and joined the US Navy during the Korean War where he served on an aircraft carrier. This sparked his lifelong interest in aviation and eventual acquisition of his pilot's license and his much loved prop planes.

After the service, he again returned to Missouri where he completed a degree in mechanical engineering at the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy in Rolla and later endowed a scholarship in his wife Marge's name. He then launched a successful and storied career in manufacturing that spanned several decades and continents, earning him a write up in Forbes magazine and mentions in the Wall Street Journal. After graduating, he married Margaret (Marge) Irose and they became the proud parents of those 5 daughters whom he called his proudest accomplishment.

George began his career with Proctor and Gamble, moved on to the Continental Can Corp followed by assuming a Plant Manager position and Vice Presidency of the Masonite Corporation. He then moved to the Portland Cement Industry, first as CEO, President of Essroc Corporation with the Societe des Cement Français and then as the President of the Medusa Corporation and finally as a Director of the Southdown Corporation.

His beloved wife and partner Marge passed away suddenly in 1988. He then married Rose Newman, a longtime family friend who pre-deceased him in 2005. George retired to Naples Florida where he purchased and lovingly restored Palm Villa, formerly the DuPont Cottage, a beautiful and historic home in the heart of Old Naples which was featured in books and on television as a quintessential part of Naples' architectural history.

George was so many things, an astute and intuitive businessman, a born leader, a lifelong devout Catholic and the quintessential gentleman. He was a pilot, a golfer, a painter, a sailor and a beautiful dancer who always loved dancing with his daughters even though, as he put it, "not a one of them will let me lead". They would tell him it was the "U Gene" they inherited from him that made them leaders instead of followers. In addition to his parents and 2 wives, he was predeceased by his brother Glennon Uding. He is survived by his sister Kathleen (Garry) Chaput of St Loius, his daughters Cheryl (Scott) Minnier of Rome Pa, Ellen (Robert) Coe of Baltimore Md, Laura (Thomas) Beaupre of Macungie Pa, Mary Jennifer (Matthew) Wiley of Oreland Pa and Kristie (Patrick) Guttin of Sandpoint Id. He is also survived by his grandchildren Tyler, Eli, Jesse, Amy, Olivia, Ian, Chip, Alexandra, Benjamin, Reina, Kaitlyn, Alexander, Zachary, Nathan and Ashley, his 6 great grandchildren and his dog Zoe.

The family will hold a small private ceremony soon and many ongoing celebrations of George's life when the current chaos fades and safety permits. And they ask that those of you who knew George raise a vodka gimlet, a glass of very good red wine, or the cocktail of your choice in his honor from wherever in the world you are safely ensconced.  They also ask that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Hospice or the charity of one's choice and they send him off with a Godspeed, a last kiss and the pilot's call for takeoff of "CLEAR PROP".

Arrangements by the Bartholomew–Schisler Funeral Home, Nazareth Pa.