COOPERSTOWN – George W. McCrea, age 86, of Cooperstown, passed away peacefully early Thursday morning, June 16, 2022.
George was born February 11, 1936, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, a son of James M. and Alice (Reilly) McCrea.
When he was a youngster his family moved to Laurens, where he graduated from Laurens Central School with the Class of 1955. During his high school years, he was a three-sport all-star in football, basketball and baseball. On January 18, 1956, he enlisted in the United States Navy and proudly served his country as a Third Class Petty Officer for four years following the Korean War. He often recalled when his ship, the USS Leyte, hit a whale, noting, “It stopped the ship dead in the water.” His aircraft carrier was responsible for patrolling the northeast coast of the United States. Following his honorable discharge on December 17, 1959, he apprenticed to and became a stone mason and a bricklayer. He also owned and operated a farm on the Middlefield Center Road.
George married Constance “Connie” Larsen of Cooperstown, and together they raised their three children in Cooperstown, first in the Village and later on their farm in Middlefield Center.
George is survived by his wife, Connie; three children, Karen (Keith) McCrea of Meco, Katherine McCrea of Anchorage, Alaska, and Michael (Marie) McCrea of Middlefield Center; seven grandchildren, Erin Lamouret, Collin Lamouret (Sandra) and Hannah Lamouret Gross (Joshua), Piper Lightwood and Maxwell Lightwood, and Julia McCrea and Leah McCrea; and four great grandsons, Alexander, Rhett and Keelan Gross and Patrick Lamouret. He is further survived by a brother, John McCrea of Oneonta, a sister, Patricia Mooney of Kingston and many nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his parents, his brothers James Merritt and Joseph Edward and his sister, Alice.
There will be a brief memorial service at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 25, 2022, at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home, 82 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown, with Fr. Kyle T. Grennan, Rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Cherry Valley, officiating. At the conclusion of the service, Military Honors will be accorded by members of the Cooperstown Veterans Club and the United State Navy Funeral Honors Team. Immediately following there will be a Celebration of George’s Life to be held at The Tryon Inn, 124 Main Street, Cherry Valley, at which all are invited to attend and share your memories with the family.
In lieu of flowers, if you so wish, please consider a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
If you would like to send condolences to the family, send an email to Connell, Dow & Deysenroth. We will forward your comments to the family. If you would like to send flowers in memory of the deceased, contact Mohican Flowers at (607) 547-8822, or A Rose is a Rose at (607) 264-3100.
