George E. Irwin Jr.

Dr. George Irwin died peacefully on January 9, 2021 at Shell Point Retirement Community in Fort Myers, FL., just shy of turning 102. George was father to Patricia (Hoy) McConnell, Dr. George Stephen (Kathy) Irwin and Janet (Michael) Johnson. He was a proud grandfather of Ed, Courtney, Steve, Martha, Brent and Brooke and the loving great-grandfather of 12. His beloved wife of 75 years, Marguerite, died in 2017, and he missed her every day.

Born March 24, 1919 George grew up in Kankakee, IL. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Northwestern University in 1940 before attending Northwestern Medical School, graduating with MS and MD degrees in 1943. He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in India and Okinawa before completing his residency in Radiology in 1948.

George and Marguerite were married in 1942 and raised their family in Bloomington, IL, where he practiced Radiology from 1948 to 1985. George was active in the American College of Radiology as well as the McLean County Board of Health and was instrumental in establishing the Bloomington Normal School of Radiologic Technologists. He served as an elder of the Second Presbyterian Church of Bloomington, traveled widely and fulfilled his passion for flying by earning his pilot's license.
Following retirement, he and Marguerite lived on Sanibel Island, FL, where as a member and commander of the US Power Squadron, George taught boating classes and celestial navigation. He served as a volunteer guide for the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation and was a member and trustee of the Sanibel Congregational Church.

In the year 2000, he and Marguerite moved to Shell Point Retirement Community. In 2017, they observed their 75th wedding anniversary with family and friends in attendance. Soon after her death, George moved to the Pavilion where he celebrated his 100th birthday. He lived a long, distinguished and good life. He was a brilliant, modest and caring man who, in his final days still followed world affairs, worked crossword puzzles and even wrote a couple of poems.

A Memorial Service will be held when it is safe to gather. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ (sanibelucc.org), Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (sccf.org), or Harry Chapin Food Bank (harrychapinfoodbank.org) would be appreciated.

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