Frances Veirs George

Frances Veirs George was born on September 26, 1920 in Oakley, Kansas where she was known as Mabel Frances Veirs. At 103 years old, she passed away after a brief illness at the Oakmont of Orange living facility in Orange, California surrounded by her family.

Frances was musical as a young girl and her supporting parents drove her weekly to Colby, Kansas for piano lessons. Not lost to Frances was the fact that her favorite opera singer later in life, Samuel Ramey, the noted baritone, was born and raised in Colby. She excelled at the piano, was an accomplished singer, and played percussion. She participated in church choir performances as a pianist and relished her involvement in marching and concert bands in high school. She graduated from Oakley High School in 1940 and was offered 3 musical scholarships. But even with the scholarships, her parents could not afford the expense to send her to college. She worked at Stetz’s five and dime store in Oakley saving enough money to move to Los Angeles in 1942.

She was welcomed by several aunts and cousins in East Los Angeles and soon had her own apartment in the Echo Park neighborhood with views of downtown Los Angeles. As this was war time, she worked as a civilian employee for the Navy inspecting ordnance, bombs and machine guns, before they were shipped to the Pacific theater. After visiting her parents in Oakley for the holidays, she was returning on a train January 3, 1944 where she met William Frederick George. He was a 2nd class Petty Officer for the Navy assigned to shore patrol duty riding trains. Their first date on that day was a train stop in Las Vegas where they enjoyed coffee and donuts. They married August 6, 1944 in Los Angeles and lived near the USC campus and later in Monterey Park, a suburb of LA.

As a housewife, she and policeman husband Bill started a family with Phyllis Sue born in 1947 and Charles Robert in 1958. One son, William Charles born in 1948, passed away as a child and was always in her heart. Frances was an active PTA member, band booster parent, teacher’s aide, boy scout merit badge counselor, and member of the Alpha Zeta Beta Sorority, Gamma Lambda Chapter.

Frances went to college to attain her music teaching credential and began teaching piano in her home in 1961 and continued teaching for 35 years. Teaching and mentoring was life fulfilling and she established meaningful relationships with students and their families which endured for the rest of her life. Active in the Music Teachers Association of California, she was president of the Whittier Branch in 1976-1977 and the first president of the newly formed West San Gabriel Valley Branch in the 80’s.

Husband Bill died in 1996 after 51 years of marriage. A year later, Frances moved to Laguna Woods, California where she was blessed having kind and loving neighbors on her cul-de-sac. Her last 10 months were spent living at Oakmont of Orange where she gained new friends and was attended to by wonderful caregivers. Most importantly, she managed to fit her grand piano in her apartment.

She is survived by her children Phyllis Cleveland and Charles George, daughter-in-law Mary George, and grandchildren Trevor George and Auden George. She was preceded in death by her parents, Benjamin Franklin Veirs and Mabel Gertrude Veirs Renner (Robertshaw); siblings John Franklin Viers, Ellen May Veirs and Anna Ruth Veirs; and half brother Dr. Joseph Veirs and half sister Mary Edna Clary Huck (Veirs).

To know Frances was to know a energetic, personable, and warm hearted woman who was quick to share a funny story and a hearty laugh. Her dedication to music and teaching was unwavering and she was at peace when outside in nature.

A viewing will be held Wednesday, December 6, 2023 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM at the Visitation Center at Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, California 90601 followed by a graveside service at 1:00 PM. A memorial service will occur Friday, February 2, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Memorial Chapel also at Rose Hills. Rev. Canon Pat McCaughan of St. George’s Episcopal Church of Laguna Hills will perform both services.

Memorials may be made in Frances Veirs George’s name to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Contact donor services at (800) 822-6344 or using this link https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html.