George E. Taft, 81,
of Essex Junction, Vt., died peacefully on December 22, 2023, at the
McClure Miller Respite House, after a several-months long struggle
with cancer.
The son of Chester M. and Mary J. Taft,
George was born on January 27, 1942, in Colchester’s Fanny Allen
Hospital. His youth was spent in Brandon and Essex Junction, where he
roamed the woods and fields of those then small towns and developed a
love of outdoor sports which continued into his fly-fishing outings
in old age.
George was educated in Essex Junction and at
Phillips Exeter Academy, Dartmouth College and Brooklyn Law School,
where he received his juris doctor degree in 1971. He was on active
duty with the U.S. Navy from 1966 to 1968, serving in the Atlantic
and Mediterranean, and was honorably discharged in 1971. In the ’60s
and early ’70s, George lived in New York City’s West Village and
Brooklyn Heights during interesting and bohemian times and worked for
a law firm and a title company, primarily in real estate matters.
George was admitted to the bar in New York, Vermont and the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. After returning to Vermont
in 1973, he worked for a time with the Chittenden Trust Company
before turning to private general practice, concentrating in real
estate, trusts and family matters.
George loved his
hunting and fishing and traveled throughout the northern U.S. and in
Canada in pursuit of both. He also enjoyed the role of Santa Claus,
performing for Mary Jo’s family and others, and following the
athletic endeavors of his nieces and nephew. He also continued to
work part time into early 2023.
George was predeceased by
his parents; his life companion, Mary Jo Mahoney; his brother James;
and his sister, Deb, and her husband, Walter Swarkowski.
He
is survived by his brother Dave of South Burlington; his brother Jeff
and his wife, Marilee, of Essex Junction, and their children, Brooke
Taft Robbins and her ex-husband, Rick, and Heather Taft Garrow and
her husband, RJ; his nieces, Ryleigh Taft Garrow and Abigail Taft
Robbins; and his nephew, Tanner Jeffery Robbins; as well as his
special friend Ellen Mahoney.
The Taft family wishes to
thank the staff at the University of Vermont Medical Center and the
McClure Miller Respite House for the outstanding care and comfort
offered to George.
A service for George will be held in
the spring or early summer.
Those wishing to honor
George’s memory might consider a donation to the McClure Miller Respite House or a cancer research organization of their
choice.
Arrangements are under the care of Corbin & Palmer Funeral Home.
This article appears in Dec 27, 2023 – Jan 9, 2024.