George “Buddy” Reid Wurtele, of Birmingham, Ala., was born September 22, 1925, in Birmingham, Alabama. George was the fifth child of Henry J. Wurtele and Ida Reid Huey Wurtele. He attended Ensley High School and the Citadel before joining the Navy after his sophomore year. It was the near the end of WWII when his Naval Construction Battalion (the Seabees) was shipped to the Philippine Islands. Aboard ship he was a RT, radio technician, one of those men that you see climbing up the high poles. When he reflected on those days, he would shake his head saying, “I still can’t believe that I did that!” After the Navy, George finished college at the University of Alabama, earning a Civil Engineering degree. Roll Tide! He was employed by the L&N Railroad. With the L&N he was transferred to Corbin, KY, Evansville, IN, Louisville, KY, and back to Birmingham, AL. When the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad bought out the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and became the SCL L&N Railroad, George was transferred to Jacksonville, Florida. After ten years in Jacksonville George opted to take an early retirement, to play tennis. November 26, 1947, George married Eleanor Chalker. Although reared a Baptist George followed Eleanor to the Presbyterian Church. Wherever they moved they joined a church. Both were always very active in serving the church. They had five children in ten years. George would travel from Monday morning returning home on Friday afternoon. however, during a strike in 1954 he left Eleanor at home with three children in diapers for six weeks while he worked on a drawbridge. While in Jacksonville George grew a snow-white beard and Eleanor made a beautiful Santa Claus suit for him. He enjoyed playing Santa for friends and special needs groups as well. They were married for 54 years when she died in 2002. George was an avid tennis player and was highly ranked in Alabama in the 1980s and 1990s. He played competitively until he was 76 years old. In 2006, George was inducted into the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame. He never met a stranger that he couldn’t find someone with whom they both were acquainted. He never forgot a name or where they were from originally. It was more than once when he met someone, from a small town or a big city, and asked if they knew his friend from the same hometown. On several occasions the response was, why, yes, he is my brother. Surviving George are his five children: Reid Wurtele (Ann), Martha Jones (the late Thermon Jones), Cathy Schafer (Fred), Joe Wurtele (Diane), and Edward Wurtele. Grandchildren: Michelle Moon, (Richard), Stacey Taylor; Lucy McNamara, (Andrew), Sara Wurtele, Leah Ellis, Houston Wurtele (Loren) and Matthew Wurtele (Meredith). Great Grandchildren: Kylie Ellis, Richard Moon III, Chalker Moon, Jack Wurtele, Mason Wurtele, Owen McNamara, and Henry McNamara. His memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham on Saturday, May 7th visitation begins at 12 noon and the service at 1pm with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family request that you consider a donation to First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham, First Light, The Big Oak Ranch, or a charity of your choice.
Posted in: Birmingham News
Posted on: 2022-05-02
Link to original obituary: https://obits.al.com/us/obituaries/birmingham/name/george-wurtele-obituary?id=34526550