George Chapman Singer, 96, of Burlington, Vt.,
died on March 9, 2024, after a short
illness.
Born
on June 23, 1927, George grew up in Yonkers, N.Y.,
the son of Virginia Chapman and Albert H. Singer. A 1944
graduate of Scarborough School in Scarborough,
N.Y., George met his future wife, Gloria, in the ninth grade. After
graduation, he accepted an appointment to Kings Point Merchant Marine
Academy. He served as a midshipman in the U.S.
Merchant Marine.
After
the war, George earned a BA in English at Dartmouth College,
graduating magna cum laude. On June 16, 1950, George and Gloria were
married in Zion’s Episcopal Church in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.,
and soon settled in Philadelphia, where George earned an MBA
at The Wharton School.
George
began his business career as a registered representative on the New
York Stock Exchange for Shields & Company, while he and Gloria
began their family. Over time they moved north, eventually moving to
Burlington, Vt., in 1971, where George
managed W.E. Hutton & Company’s office. In 1976, he opened a
regional office for Dean Witter (now Morgan Stanley). He retired in
1993.
George
learned to ski at Dartmouth and soon taught Gloria this new sport. As
his family grew, so did their love for skiing. George first skied at
Mad River Glen in 1960, and soon it became his family’s skiing
home. George skied until he was 86 years old and enjoyed taking his
grandchildren down his favorite trails.
Books
were an enduring passion for George. His fascination with rare books
began when he was a teenager, and he enjoyed collecting throughout
his life. Over many years, George
amassed a significant collection of Adirondack books and prints.
After retirement, George and Gloria started a small business, The
Ashley Book Company, which specialized in forgeries and
private-press books. George was a longtime member of the Grolier Club
of New York City, where he served as the organization’s
representative to the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies.
A
lifelong runner, George started jogging in the early 1960s,
long before it was popular. He ran and rode his bike into his early
nineties. Starting in 1963, George
climbed the Adirondack 46 over the course of 38 years, summiting his
last peak with his grandson Christopher.
After
George’s first visit to Lake George in 1941, he spent time “at
the lake” every year of his life. Together with his father and
Gloria, George established a family camp on Lake George’s Heart Bay
that has brought together five generations of his family.
George
was always up for fun and a little mischief —
and narrowly got away with a few of his escapades. As a
teenager and young man, George was known to water-ski
at night and once sailed the length of Lake George in a
borrowed Star overloaded with “provisions.” George entertained
his children and grandchildren by occasionally swallowing a fly or
spider!
For
decades, George was an active supporter of Lake George and the
Ticonderoga community. He served on the boards of the Lake George
Association, the Lake George Land Conservancy and Fort Ticonderoga’s
National Council Advisory. George was deeply committed to the
revitalization of Ticonderoga, and he believed in the life-changing
power of education. To that end, George established a
scholarship fund for area high school graduates to continue their
education in skilled trades.
George
was predeceased by his wife, Gloria, and is survived by his children,
Lauren (Peter Waite), Robert and Margaret
(Michael Huffman). He leaves nine grandchildren and seven
great-grandchildren.
There
will be a celebration at Lake George this summer to gather George’s
family and friends.
A small service is planned for April 4, 3 p.m.,
at All Saints Church in South Burlington.
Memorial
contributions may be made to the Lake George Land Conservancy/George
C. Singer Education Fund, Ticonderoga Revitalization Alliance/George
C. Singer Skilled Career Scholarship Endowment Fund or
Fort Ticonderoga/Education Programs Fund. The family invites
you to view further information and share your memories by visiting
awrfh.com.
This article appears in Mar 13-19, 2024.