George Robert Service
George passed away peacefully on Tuesday August 2nd, 2022, at the Chatham-Kent Hospice. He lived with cancer for seven years. He is survived by his wife Marsha Summerfield, sons Brett, Mark, Michael, and Colin (Theresa), stepchildren Christopher Summerfield and Tracy Gibbons (Mike). He was predeceased by his wife Jo-Anne (2013). He has ten grandchildren: Owen, Isaac, Anna, Maddie, and Blythe Service, James and David Summerfield, Kyle, and Justin (Atlas) Gibbons, and Nick Zingone (Maddie Best). Also survived by brother Rev. William Service (Carol), sisters-in-law Brenda Benson, Pat Service, Darlene Service, Sharron Willock, and Sandra Gillespie.
He is predeceased by brothers David (2000), Jim (2016), and Don (2015), sisters-in-law Kathie Service and Lorraine Gillespie and brothers-in-law Keith Willock and Hugh Gillespie.
He was the third of five boys of Reginald Service (1985) and Ruth Massey Service (2000).
He was an elementary school educator for 33.5 years teaching in H.D. Taylor in Windsor, and Queen Elizabeth, Sprucedale and John N. Given Schools in Chatham. He was Vice Principal of McNaughton Ave. Public School. He served as Principal of Sprucedale-Gregory Drive, Victoria Park, Harwich Raleigh, Winston Churchill and H.W. Burgess schools.
He was active in Victoria Ave. and St. Paul’s United Churches in a variety of roles. He sang with the Capitol Theatre Chorale for four years. George devoted his life to the Kiwanis Club of Chatham-Kent. While in Kiwanis he served as Director, Secretary, Vice President, Distinguished President and Lieutenant Governor of Bluewater-St. Clair Division. For five years he chaired the Chatham Kiwanis Music Festival. Kids and music were his passions. He believed that “We rise again in the voices of our children”.
Family and friends are invited to the Alexander & Houle Funeral Home, 245 Wellington St. West, Chatham, 519-352-2710, on Friday August 5th, 2022, with visiting from 2 to 4 pm and 7 to 9 pm. The funeral service will be conducted in the chapel of the funeral home on Saturday August 6th, 2022, at 1 pm with Rev. Sandra Fogarty officiating. The service will be livestreamed, and a link will be found on the funeral home’s website. Cremation to follow with interment at a later date. Friends planning an expression of remembrance are asked to consider Chatham-Kent Hospice Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society. On-line condolences may be left at www.alexanderandhoulefuneralhome.ca
Funeral Service will be livestreamed. Link to follow.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of George Service August 2 2022..
Alexander & Houle Funeral Home
Death notice for the town of: Chatham, Province: Ontario