George Leslie Fleshman

George Leslie Fleshman, age 83, of La Grande, died Thursday, April 24, 2008 at St. Mary's Medical Center in Walla Walla, Washington.

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Christian Church, 901 Penn in La Grande. Interment will follow at the Island City Cemetery. Viewing hours will be Tuesday from 4 until 6 p.m. at Daniels~Knopp, Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center, 1502 Seventh Street, La Grande.

George was born on September 7, 1924, the son of Oliver C. and Margaret (Willett) Fleshman in La Grande, the youngest of 10 children. After
graduating from La Grande High School in 1942 he attended Eastern Oregon State College and later graduated from the University of Oregon. During World War II he served with the Air Force as a Lieutenant. On December 21, 1946 he married Dorothy J. Swart in La Grande. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1996 and passed their 61st just this last December.

George was manager of the La Grande Social Security District Office from 1972 until retiring on May 31, 1983.

He was known over the community simply as George or Mr. Rotary and was a friend of all. He loved being with people and helping where he could. He was an active member and Elder Emeritus in the First Christian Church in La Grande, being baptized at the age of 10. He was also active in the First Christian Church in Salem, OR where the Fleshmans made their home early in their marriage and where their sons were born. He was a member of Rotary International since 1962 with 19 years perfect attendance by visiting clubs in every traveled country, and a past president of 1965. He was honored for his service to Rotary and was given the Paul Harris award. He was an instructor of cross country skiing for the Special Olympics for 14 years. For 18 years he served on the United Way Board of Directors and was a past president and campaign chair for 2 years. He was a member of the American Legion, Post 43 and the Sierra Club. In 1965 he was honored by the Chamber of Commerce as the Man of the Year. In 1988 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Eastern Oregon State College. His latest recognition of community service was this month as a Valuable Volunteer for his monthly slide shows to the residents at the Grande Ronde Retirement Community.

George was an avid mountain climber and backpacker, earning the Mazama 16 Peak Award in 1970, the same year that he climbed the Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland. He loved the Wallowa Mountain wilderness and hiked to almost every lake during his hiking years, also backpacking in other portions of Oregon, Washington, Europe, New Zealand and England, completing the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon between the California and Washington borders in 1987, a distance of 425 miles. He ended his active mountain climbing by standing on the summit of Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the lower 48 states, on the occasion of his 64th birthday on 7 September 1988.

In 1992 George volunteered and was accepted for the Northwest Medical Teams International construction project in Mexico City, Mexico. The Chilkoot Trail in Alaska lured him in 1997 to celebrate the Gold Rush days (1897-1898).

George was a world traveler and loved every minute of it. Besides spending spring break at Death Valley for 16 years, he and his wife Dorothy visited friends and relatives in Switzerland, Ireland, Scotland, England, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Canada, and cruised the Alaskan coast. Continuing travels for himself included a number of other countries as well and in 2007 stood on the Great Wall of China. He always returned with slide travelogues to share with others. As a serious photographer he will be remembered by his beautiful slide shows that he presented to local service clubs, churches, schools, senior center and nursing homes throughout the years. In his own words, he was "really a nice, cuddly fellow - missed by ALL." With always one more distant shore in mind, George has now left this earth on the greatest travel adventure of his 83 years.

Survivors include sons Craig and Marilyn Fleshman of Sublimity, OR, Terry and Debbie Fleshman of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Randy and Marilyn Fleshman of Scio, OR; grandchildren Shawna O'Callahan, Leslie Ann Darling, Brooke Neuton, Skye McGinn, Valerie Fleshman and Kevin Fleshman and adopted grandchildren Jason Fleshman and David Fleshman; 9 great-grandchildren; two sisters Margery Rogers of Pendleton and Mildred Holly of Eugene, many other relatives and a host of friends. He was preceded in death by infant grandchild "Little Irish", brothers Kenneth, Dwight, Roy and Ray Fleshman, and sisters Miriam Fleshman, Blanche Rohland, Bethel Courtney.

Those who wish may make contributions in memory of George to the First Christian Church of La Grande, the La Grande noon Rotary Club, or charity of
choice.