George A. Colom Jr.'s Obituary
George A. Colom entered heaven at the age of 91.
Born to Jorge C. Colom and Josephina Candado in Manhattan, New York City, NY, George grew up on the west side of Manhattan, NY. He attended the Mount Assumption Institute in Plattsburg, NY and graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, NY, where he excelled both scholastically and athletically.
George proudly and honorably served as a U.S. Marine, attaining the rank of Sergeant, and was a Korean War Veteran.
Graduating from the RCA Institute, George worked for AT & T Bell Labs in Whippany, NJ as a Systems Engineer in Research and Development for 39 years; most notably on the Mercury and Apollo Space Program projects, as well as on the first Satellite Communications Project, “Telestar.”
Married to Nicoletta Vella for 67 years, together, they raised four children in Stanhope, NJ; retiring to Cape Coral in 1995.
A devout Catholic, George was very involved in his church, St. Katharine Drexel, where he served as a Eucharistic Minister. As a member of the PFC Paul E Ison Det 60 Marine Corps League, George served as Commandant, as well as being involved with the Korean War Vets, the VFW, the Iwo Jima Statue Restoration Committee, where he was solely responsible for getting the statue nationally recognized, the Brotherhood of Heroes Museum, the Knights of Columbus and was a charter member of the Veteran’s Foundation.
George was a man of faith, honor, family, country and integrity. He was always on the go, taking his family on many adventures, one being the infamous Colom family cross-country camping trip in the summer of 1972.
Pre-deceased by his parents, George was a devoted and loving husband, a dedicated and involved father, grandfather and great-grandfather, as well as a steadfast friend. Survivors include his wife, Nicoletta, children Gabrielle Colom, Christopher M. Colom (Stefanie), Lisa A. Colom, and George T. Colom (Maria “Coco”), his sister, Lillian deMoncada, his brother, Peter J. Colom (Nikki), as well as ten grandchildren: Eric, Arielle, Nathan, Scott, Kelly, Lindsey, Alyssa, Jennifer, George and Cristina; eleven great-grandchildren: Tanner Liam, Aria, Stella, Krew, Elisia, Alexandra, Gabriel, Michael, Josephina, Elijah, and Eva, and one great-great granddaughter, Lyniesa, as well as many extended family members and friends.
The Colom family would like to thank Hope Hospice for the compassionate and benevolent care given to George during his final days. We, as a family, are very grateful.
Semper Fi George.
A Funeral Mass will be held 11:00 AM, Monday, November 13, 2023 at St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church, 1922 SW 20th Avenue, Cape Coral, FL 33991.
George will be interred at Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Fort Myers, FL with Military Honors on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 11:00 AM.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given in George’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association, American Cancer Society or to St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
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